Espy
by kikofreako
Summary: espy \ih-SPY\ : To catch sight of; to discover, as a distant object partly concealed; to discern unexpectedly. Hollow Bastion- loss, love, and rebuilding. 41. Merlin told them to leave Pooh's storybook alone. Now look what happened.
1. Adduce

**_ATTENTION!_**

Espy has gotten fairly big. For convenience, I have provided a drabble guide in chapters 16 and 25, for all of you who are looking for specific characters or just want to find something interesting. It includes title, main characters/focuses, and a one-sentence summary. So if you're looking for something specific, go there. Enjoy!

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**01. ****adduce (all)**

(inspired by the dictionary)

Leon never understood Yuffie's constant need for motion. She'd prance around in battle and in the marketplace, randomly doing backflips and spinning neatly on her toes. "You are so _boring_, Squall," she'd exclaim, placing her hands on her hips, sticking out her tongue. "One day you're just gonna freeze, boom, like a statue, and pigeons will poop all over you."

He'd roll his eyes and mumble something about his name being Leon, not Squall, darn it. And he really doubted there were pigeons, anyway. Yuffie would say, "Well, how do YOU know?" and bounce onto the next person.

Everyone in their broken (getting better?) family reacted differently to her particular brand of energy. Aerith would just smile gently like she always did, giggling a bit and saying something about "less sugar for you." Merlin would usually latch on to part of Yuffie's crazy rambling and launch into a lecture on the subject. Cid would yell "What's an old man gotta do t' get a little _peace_ around here?" but secretly Leon thought he liked being interrupted. Cloud would either ruffle her hair like a big brother or just kind of brush her off like a stranger, because sometimes he had good days and sometimes not so good.

Leon dealt with it the most. Trips on the gummi ship to Olympus Coliseum were absolute torture—it was like trying to put a puppy in a shoebox. Yuffie would walk (well, her walk was almost a dance, really) around the cockpit and generally grate on Leon's nerves. "I'm going to throw you into outer space," he threatened.

"Don't think so, Squallie," she retorted.

Maybe it was her way of coping. Maybe she was related to the Tigger in Merlin's books. Maybe she was just a crazy girl with a crazy boy that did crazy things.

But heck, life was hard. Sometimes, they just needed to bounce.

* * *

This is a collection of one-shots, drabbles, and random stuff. Writing styles will change (from stylized and reflective like this one, to a 'normal' storytelling style). Themes, genres... all subject to change. Categoration will depend on the most current drabble up. I currently have four more already written.

**I am taking requests!** If there's something you'd like to see, put it in your review. If it sparks interest, I'll write it. I don't do slash/het.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** "Since when did you have kids, Cloud?"

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	2. Resemblance

**02. resemblance (cloud, cid)**

Cid hefted his spear, enjoying the familiar feel of the wood shaft in his hand. "C'mon, blondie. We've got Heartless to kill."

Cloud raised a brow. "You're blonde too."

"'Least my hair doesn't look like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket," Cid retorted. He paused, surveying the bailey area. "It's been awhile since Sora got in here to clean things up. We might have more than a couple of 'em."

Cloud shrugged. "Always nice to have some target practice."

Sure enough, Heartless began seeping out of corners, twitching and sniffing. The two began to hack mercilessly at the throng. They were mostly small fries—not big enough to pose much of a threat.

Cid threw a glance at the blonde swordsman, a mischievous spark in his eyes. "You and Sora have the same kind of hair, y'know," he remarked. "But he's got Aerith's hair color…" Cid trailed off purposely. "His eyes look a heckuva lot like yours." Pause, then a grin. "You and Aerith have a kid or somethin'?"

Cloud twitched, flushing red. Cid speared a Shadow, laughing uproariously. "Jeez, Strife, I gotta say--"

Cloud turned, holding up a Rabid Dog. Drool dripped onto the cobblestones as it fixed Cid with its loony gaze, barking madly. "Hey, Cid," Cloud remarked, looking at the Heartless, "didn't know you had a kid."

Cid's foul cursing echoed all the way to the Marketplace.

* * *

Sora really does look like Cloud and Aerith's kid. (I'm using the 'th' spelling for her name because that's how KH spells it.) Again, I am taking requests. I always reply to my reviews if they're signed, and will confirm/decline your requests. I had an unsigned request for Clouffie. I'm a total Clerith diehard, sorry. But I can come up with a wonderful Cloud and Yuffie friendship bit for Darkened-Skys.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** If Cloud was bad at social conversation, amatory conversation would surely be worse.


	3. Amatory

**03. amatory (cloud, aerith)**

(inspired by the dictionary)

Cloud had never been a talkative person. When under pressure, it was just hard to find the right words. They got jumbled. So instead of making himself look stupid, Cloud usually kept his mouth shut, letting Leon or Yuffie or whoever else was around do the talking. This strategy had worked fairly well for some time.

Except for now.

Instead of dulling his feelings for Aerith, their long separation had only sharpened them. He could barely think of her without flushing red. Every giggle, every swish of her skirt, the gentle sparkle of her green eyes—it drove him wild. So Cloud was forced to come to terms with the fact that he was, as Yuffie called it, "head over freakin' heels, crazy insane awesome" in love with Aerith.

But there was no way he could actually _say_ that. If he was bad at social conversation, amatory conversation would surely be worse. So he pondered for some time how to let her know that he loved her without actually _telling_ her. Sure, Cloud was as afraid of rejection as any man, but anything had to be better than living in constant agony.

He'd come up with a quite a brilliant plan (at least in his mind.) Aerith loved flowers—for Jenova's sake, that's how they met. Red roses were the stereotypical symbol of love. So all he had to do was get a rose, give it to her, and hope like crazy that she didn't kick him out the door.

That was where Cloud was standing now—outside her door, trying to work up the courage to knock. The heavy oak seemed more intimidating than even Sephiroth. Cloud fingered the rose in his pocket nervously, trying to calm his thoughts. _Now or never_.

He knocked. There was the sound of soft footfalls, then the knob turned and he was faced with Aerith. "Yes?" she asked.

Cloud stood there stupidly for a moment, momentarily forgetting what he was there for. Her hair was down. It flowed down her back and over her shoulders, seeming to throw the hallway into a soft chestnut light. "Um--"

She titled her head, smiling. He cleared his throat. "Can I talk to you?" _You're already talking to her, moron_.

She smiled gracefully. "Of course. Come in."

She ushered him inside. Her room, of course, was spotless. The windowsill was crammed with plants, leafy foliage spilling over the edge and creeping on the wall. The window itself let in the sunlight, and it played over their faces mischievously.

Aerith followed his gaze. "The old gardens were destroyed, so I thought I'd grow a few things here until we find a place to transplant them."

"They're nice," he said. _You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known,_ he thought. If only the words in his head could actually make it to his mouth.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Cloud took a breath. "I got this for you," he said, drawing the rose from his pocket. "I… thought you might like it." Cloud trailed off. Unlike Yuffie, who babbled like a brook when nervous, Cloud just stopped talking entirely.

Aerith smiled softly. "Thank you." She took the rose gently and tucked it behind her ear. "It's wonderful."

"I…" Words were gone, gone, gone, lost somewhere in his mind, crowded out because all he could focus on was the woman in front of him. Aerith stepped closer, hesitantly reaching out a hand to stroke his face gently. Her touch was like everything that was good in the world, collected on her fingertips and given to him. Cloud could feel himself slipping away. _Tell her_, the rational side of him urged. _Right now. Three words, you can at least do that. Three words!_

It was no use—he couldn't speak. Instead he leaned forward, brushing his lips lightly against hers for a moment. He felt her stiffen in surprise, and for a terrible moment he thought that he'd been wrong. But then she twined her arms around his neck, tugging his face to her own, and they met again. Kissing Aerith was something that Cloud could never hope to describe—no matter how many words he conjured up. There was nothing in his vocabulary that could remotely describe it.

They parted softly. Cloud kept his forehead against Aerith's, feeling her breath warm on his face. He kissed her cheek gently and could feel her smile.

"Love you too," she murmured softly.

* * *

I. Love. Clerith. Those two are simply amazing together.

Okay, I'm going to get off my fangirl-soapbox now, and I'm going to issue a challenge to you readers and reviewers. I've gotten a few requests, and I do intend on doing a Cloud and Yuffie friendship shot (hooray!). But I want a challenge! So here it is: **give me a word/phrase prompt, and I'll write a drabble on it**. As you've seen, many of my drabbles are inspired by Dictionary (dot) com's "Word of the Day." This is nice when warming up, but I need something to sink my teeth into. So give me the hardest word or phrase you can think on. Stump me, I dare you.

The challenge is issued. Reviews are welcomed with open arms and a batch of warm cookies... delicious!

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** They all had different roles. Like Cid was kind of a father figure for them all (albiet a cursing, chain-smoking one...)


	4. Éminence Grises

**04. _Éminence grises (all)_**

(inspired by the dictionary)

Somehow, wherever he went, Leon always found himself in a leadership position. He'd unofficially become one of the refugee directors for Traverse Town, and now he was in charge of restoring Hollow Bastion. It had been destroyed so many times that sometimes he felt like simply throwing in the towel and waiting for the next shakeup to finish the job. But Leon had a job to do, and he had people to take care of.

He wasn't stupid enough to try and do it all single-handedly. The other members of the team—Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, Merlin, Cloud—had become _éminence grises_. They were unofficial leaders who operated how they pleased, simply doing what they thought was best. Everyone had naturally fallen into their own role.

Aerith, of course, was the healer of the town (Merlin had tried and failed miserably, vowing to stick to offensive spells). She also seemed to have a natural gift for gardening—wherever she walked, plants seemed to breathe new life and spring up greener than before. Yuffie was the go-to gal, the messenger girl. She raced across Hollow Bastion several times per day, delivering computer stuff to Cid or timber to a construction site. Yuffie also acted as Leon's partner, coaxing out a grin from him on rough days. Cid was of course the mechanic and a bit of a father figure for them all (albeit a cursing, chain-smoking one). Cloud took on the role of intimidator, quietly enforcing rules to less cooperative citizens. Maybe that was a little harsh, but the town couldn't exactly handle riots. And Leon, he supervised it all. He'd been woken up at all hours of the night to deal with one crisis or another. It was tiring, sure.

But the town gave them all something solid, something tangible, something that urged them to stay. They had a purpose; they weren't just working toward something meaningless. So the group woke up every day to try and tried to make it a little bit better than the one before. It was stabilizing them, to a degree (although Yuffie insisted that she was a _roaming_ ninja that could up and leave any day, because she wasn't a little girl anymore.) Leon was slowly getting over everything. Yuffie began to grow and flourish. Cid had a place to raise his informal family. Cloud wandered less, preferring to stay with Aerith and let Sephiroth come to him. Aerith was simply happy to have everyone together again.

So when Leon collapsed into bed at night, feeling like he'd been put through a clothes wringer, he allowed himself a little smile. Because, hey, he could be optimistic and admit that things were finally getting better.

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Reviews please?

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:**

But right now, he's just Squall, with ice-blue stormy eyes and a scar and so much pent-up fire that it takes Yuffie's breath away sometimes. (request for moonpie116)


	5. Intergrade

**05. intergrade (yuffie, leon)** for _moonpie116_

Yuffie doesn't really like to sit still much. 'Cause before if she sat still, than it was kind of bad because she focused on all of the crappy stuff (death dying dead blood sadness) so she just kept moving so she _couldn't_ focus. And now things are kinda better, but now the moving is a habit. Like you just wake up in the morning and you're immediately going, right into Yuffie Survival Mode, woo-hoo joy sunshine-y happiness.

Yuffie's kind of like a windup toy, in that sometimes it just runs out of steam. _Fwoosh_. And when she actually has to stop for a minute and really look at things (which hey, isn't as bad as it was before), she's normally looking at Squall.

"Leon" sounds stupid. _Who's named Leon Leonhart, anyway? Morons, that's who,_ she'd say/think. So she stays with Squall, 'cause that's his name. Sometimes she calls him that other name, of course, because maybe he's growing into it. But right now, he's just Squall, with ice-blue stormy eyes and a scar and so much pent-up fire that it takes Yuffie's breath away sometimes. He is also very sexy, which could also contribute to her inability to breathe when he got within six inches of her.

When Yuffie first met Squall she was SCARED, like _oh my gosh this man is going to snap one day and kill THE WHOLE FREAKIN' TOWN_ except that he actually didn't. She talked a lot to make up for him not talking at all. And then they both stayed in the same hotel, and Yuffie took/borrowed one of Squall's belts, and after Squall had finished his emo-kid freakout Yuffie just laughed and threw the belt at him and pranced out of the room like she didn't care _but she really did._

So then they kind of got squashed together a lot. Yuffie was bored so she became a leader-type person of Traverse Town, and then Squall was too. And they bickered and fought and ended up kind of being okay with each other.

Sora came along, and Squall totally kicked his butt (STUPID SQUALL). And Yuffie got called Kairi, which really threw her off. Whoever this Kairi person was, Yuffie was much prettier, right? She'd asked Squall that, and he'd just rolled his eyes and said, _Sure._

And that was the moment that Yuffie started wanting Squall to think she was beautiful. She'd never really cared before because Squall was playing stupid dumb _Leon_, and who cared about Leon's opinion? But then she started caring, because she could see the Squall in him.

And then Hollow Bastion happened.

That made Yuffie really stop for a minute, because OH MY GOSH IT'S HOLLOW BASTION. Squall had gotten this look in his eyes and Yuffie could tell what he was thinking (she'd gotten pretty good at that.) He was building plans in his head, already restoring this old crappy derelict place into something amazing. And then Squall turned to her, the spark still in his eyes, and said _Ready?_

YES, she wanted to scream YES I AM. And so she did scream it, and it felt _wonderful_.

And Squall kept changing. He talked more, he smiled more, and Yuffie stayed by his side 'cause she wanted to see it all happen and not miss a minute. Buildings went up and then they got knocked down, kind of like Squall himself (maybe Yuffie felt that way too, but she hadn't slowed down enough yet to figure it out.) They'd sit around and throw potato chips at each other until Aerith would scold them for wasting food. And they'd nod and act apologetic until she left the room then Yuffie would just stuff the whole bag onto his head and he would chase her through the hallways and be picking pieces of potato chips and salt out of his hair for like, a week.

Then, Cid opened the door to the library one day and it was CLOUD, all blonde and looking like a puppy that got spanked with a newspaper. Yuffie jumped forward to give him a famous Yuffie Hug Of Death, but Squall touched her arm (amazingly gently, too, for him) and led her out of the room with Cid. And when Yuffie passed Aerith, she understood because her green eyes were practically screaming _LOVE!_ and Cloud's looked the same way.

Yuffie would _kill_ to have someone look at her like that.

Leon seemed a bit relieved, maybe because Cloud was strong and down-to-earth and maybe he could help them out (but Yuffie knew that he was really a dumb chocobo spiky big-brother person and not really that intimidating once you knew him.) And the next week, everyone was really happy and Aerith and Cloud would steal all of these secret little glances at each other when they thought no one could see—but Yuffie did.

Then the world pretty much exploded. Sora defeated Ansem (who wasn't really Ansem) and things were _CRAZY CAKES_ for awhile. Eventually when the dust settled they were in a house that was way to small while Cid argued with Merlin and um, Cloud was gone again which really sucked. Everyone forgot, and then everyone remembered again, and Squall felt so bad that he made Sora a 'honorary member' whatever that was. And they got these cool little cards that Yuffie didn't really see the point of but she still kept it with her because Squall was trying to be nice. It was kinda cool, anyway. She'd tried to show it to the Moogles once so that they'd give her a discount, but they didn't. Stupid pom-pom headed Moogles.

Cloud came back and went around on KILL SEPHIROTH mode, stupid blonde that he was. Squall was everywhere, fixing walls and getting construction materials and Yuffie stayed by his side like a shadow (well, not really, because those Shadow Heartless were _so freakin' annoying!)_ Sora came back and did an impression of Squall, which made her laugh and realize that it was kind of outdated.

One time they were sitting in the bailey, looking at the totally destroyed wall after the whole huge battle happened and there was like, a billion Heartless and she was so sore. They had spent forever fixing that wall, and now it was rubble. Squall looked really, really tired. She looked at him, and it almost killed her to see _Leon_ there, sad-sack emo boy, not her Squall (because sometime he had become hers.)

_We can fix it,_ she said. He mumbled something in reply. Biting her lip, Yuffie jerked forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He looked surprised but didn't run away, which Yuffie considered a good sign.

_Okay_, he said. _We can start tomorrow_.

Yuffie nodded, standing up and brushing the rubble off of her shorts (Cid called them _super-short shorts _but Cid didn't know anything) and Squall stood up wit her, and then SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENED.

He leaned forward and kissed her softly for a moment, pulling back before Yuffie realized what had just happened. She kind of just stood there for awhile after he left, her lips tingling a little and for once, she was absolutely frozen. And it was kind of nice, being frozen there in place, because thinking about Squall was actually really great.

And Yuffie couldn't wait until tomorrow.

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Different writing style for me, but hopefully you guys liked it. It was a little like stream-of-consciousness writing, Yuffie-style. Yes. Anyways, I hope you all liked it. Please, please review and tell me what you thought, especially for this one. Critique is appreciated! I am working on other requests, also. Don't panic.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** "Don't angst on my ship, Leonheart."


	6. Escutcheon

**06. ****escutcheon (all)**

(inspired by the dictionary)

"That is the crappiest name I've ever heard of," Cid said dryly. "And believe me, I've heard some bad ones."

Yuffie scowled. "I don't see what's wrong with naming a ship Materia!"

Leon sighed. "Everyone would think that we're completely insane, for a start"

"They think that anyway."

The corner of Cloud's mouth twitched upwards. "Can't argue with that," he remarked quietly.

The group was gathered around a gummi ship, trying to think up a proper name for the vehicle. The ship had been Cid's pet project for the last few months (between fixing Tron's world, which was infected with viruses with alarming regularity.) "You let that Keyblade punk get behind the wheel and I'll have your hides," he'd threatened. Sora was not renowned for his piloting skills. The escutcheon, a panel traditionally bearing a ship's name, was blank.

Aerith thought. "Radiance?" she tried. "As in Radiant Garden?"

Cid shook his head. "Too girly."

Cloud opened his mouth to speak. "We are not naming it Fenrir," Yuffie declared. "Don't even think it." Cloud closed his mouth, crossing his arms as to say, _Fine, have it your way_.

They stood in silence for a moment. "Avenger?" Leon suggested.

"Don't angst on my ship."

Yuffie jumped up and down. "How about 'The Last Thing You'll Ever See?' Because if you get close enough to see the escutcheon, you'll get blasted to smithereens!"

"Points for creativity, but no."

Leon threw his hands up in the air. "Why don't you just name it yourself, then?"

"Well, I thought you pinheads would be able to think of _something_!" Cid retorted.

Leon opened his mouth to fire off a scathing reply when Merlin poked his head into the garage. "How about Phoenix?" the mage suggested. "It always comes back."

The room was silent for a moment. Cid chewed his toothpick. "Not half bad," he muttered.

Aerith smiled. "Phoenix it is."

Cid picked up a beer from his worktable, smashed it against the hull, and took a swig. "There, she's christened."

Leon rolled his eyes. "In it for the beer. Of course."

"Yuffie drank all the tea. Little brat."

Fighting immediately ensued. Aerith sighed, and Cloud rolled his eyes. "Some things have to come back," he muttered, "but some things never end."

* * *

I felt bad for not even mentioning Merlin, so there he is.

Christmas is coming-- hooray! I love Christmas. So in the spirit of Christmas, I'm thinking of doing a Christmas-themed oneshot. If I just wrote it, it would probably be very boring. So, if you would like, you can write it too! How, you ask? Write a sentence in your review that you would like to see put into the one-shot. It can be normal... _"Yuffie picked up the present, squealing in delight"_ to crazy _"Cloud hadn't really planned on wearing a pink dress on Christmas Eve, but some things just seemed to happen._" (No, you can't use those sentences, you cheaters!) So if you feel so inclined, add a line.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** "Hey, Cloudy," Yuffie said mischivously, "who do you find sexier: me, Tifa, or Aerith?" (for XxXChiharu-Chan-1000-SpringsXx)


	7. Backtalk

**07. backtalk (cloud, yuffie, tifa)** for _XxXChiharu-Chan-1000-SpringsXx_

_Fighting is essentially a masculine idea; a woman's weapon is her tongue._

Tifa watched Cloud. His bright blue eyes peered over the cards, impassive as always.

"Don't know why we play poker with you, Cloudy," Yuffie remarked, toying with her cards idly. "You've perfected your poker face."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "I've had to, if I want to keep any of my materia." Yuffie just grinned at that. He was right, after all. "I'll see your hundred and raise you two." Cloud pushed the chips out onto the table.

Tifa glanced at her own pitiful pile of chips. Cloud had put both of the girls though the wringer and neither of them had much money to their name. She scowled. "You're bluffing."

Cloud just shrugged, giving nothing away. She felt her heart flutter a bit—all these years and she still found him… well, extremely attractive. From what she heard from Yuffie, nearly all of the girls under twenty in the town were secretly nursing crushes on Cloud or Leon. So she didn't feel as bad silently wishing she could touch his hair.

Argh! Was that one of his poker tricks, using his looks to distract her? On the other hand, Cloud was painfully slow about girl-guy matters.

An idea creeped into her mind, and Tifa grinned slowly. Maybe _Cloud_ was, but she wasn't.

"All right," Tifa said, stretching languidly and pushing in three hundred in chips. "If you're going to put us poor women into the poorhouse." She stuck out her tongue at him.

Cloud looked at her quizzically, but stayed silent. Yuffie quickly caught onto the act. "Yeah, Cloud. Two nice girls like us? You're mean." She deftly flipped the three cards of the flop over, one skittering across the table. "Whoops." She leaned over, nearly lengthwise across the table. Tifa hid a grin.

They each studied their cards. Tifa chewed her lip. "One hundred," she said, pushing a chip in. She played with a strand of dark hair idly, running it over her fingers. "Bet you're bluffing," she informed Cloud, winking at him.

Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose, a nervous habit he'd presumably picked up from Leon. "Yeah, well, we'll see," he mumbled.

Yuffie grinned, tasting victory. "Hey, Cloudy," she said, apparently deciding to go for the gold. "Who do you find sexier—me, Tifa, or Aerith?"

Cloud flushed bright red. "What kind of a question is that?" he sputtered.

"Just admit you think I'm hot. It's so _obvious_, anyway."

Tifa put a hand to her mouth. "I can't believe you, Cloud!"

"_What?_ I didn't say anything!"

Yuffie giggled. Cloud passed a hand over his face, trying to iron out the blush. "Just play."

Tifa set down her cards. "All in," she said, pushing in all her chips.

Cloud opened his mouth, then closed it again. Yuffie was making kissing noises. "Just— um, all in."

Tifa grinned widely. "You lose." She laid down her hand—a mediocre one. But Cloud's was even worse. She knew this because Cloud had inadvertently titled his hand during their banter, giving Tifa a wonderfully scenic view of his cards.

"How--"

"Intutition, I suppose." She gathered up all the chips, mentally counting how many Skill Rings she could buy with the cash. "Think I'm done for the day."

"Me too," Yuffie chirped. "Fun game, Cloudy!"

The pair passed Cid on their way out, who turned to watch the girls do an impromptu victory dance outside. He raised a brow. "Well then." He turned to Cloud, who was still a vibrant red. "What the heck happened to you?"

"I, um…" The swordsman stood up abruptly. "Don't play poker with them," he mumbled.

Cid watched him go, thoroughly confused. "Stupid kids."

* * *

Mostly written because I feel bad for totally abandoning Tifa, and because I know I have Cloti fans out there (even though everyone knows that Clerith is SO MUCH BETTER!)

Review, seriously. Please? When I get almost no reviews, it makes me super depressed. Sigh. I seriously save all of my reviews (because I'm a nut job.) Anyways-- XxXChiharu-Chan-1000-SpringsXx, I hope you liked that.

Chistmas Challenge / General Challenge still up.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** "Riona," he said, testing the name on his tongue. It was agonizing and satisfying at the same time-- like taking a giant gulp of scalding hot coffee.


	8. Time

**ATTENTION-- READ THIS!** This deals with pieces of FFVIII, Squall's game. For all of you guys that don't know Rinoa, she's Squall's love interest. Italicized things in quotes _"like this"_ are lines from the game. Most are said by Rinoa. Okay, now you can read.

* * *

**08. time** **(leon)** for _Hugh Haiter_

It was official: the day sucked.

Leon hated Valentine's day with a passion. This in itself wasn't entirely unusual—many people loathed the holiday, especially when significant others were missing. But unlike others, who simply got into a bad mood, Leon completely shut down. He hated talking to people, he hated even _thinking_. All he wanted to do was hide himself in some obscure location and train till he collapsed.

Leon pulled open the kitchen door, trying to numb himself. Aerith was already in the kitchen, coffee brewing. The aura of pure contentment she always radiated was even stronger today, and Leon couldn't help burning with envy. She had Cloud, why shouldn't she be happy?

Aerith set a cup of coffee on the table, murmuring a 'good morning.' Leon didn't answer, afraid of what he'd say. Silence filled the room. Normally, Aerith was exceptionally good at respecting Leon's need for solitude. But today, of course, was different.

"Leon," she said quietly. Then: "Squall."

He looked up at her, jaw tight. "You can't do this anymore," Aerith said softly. She locked her gaze with him, green eyes melancholy and serious. "You're hurting the people around you."

Leon looked away, slightly ashamed. "…sorry."

"I'm not the only one, Leon. Cloud doesn't know what to do. Yuffie nearly drives herself _insane _over you. Cid's already trying not to drink himself silly to forget Shera. " Aerith placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have to acknowledge her."

Leon closed his eyes. "What am I supposed to say? So sorry you're dead?" The word 'dead' made him flinch inwardly.

"I don't know." Aerith didn't speak for a moment. "Just… think about her. Voluntarily." She placed a sack lunch in front of him. "Okay?"

Leon took a breath. "All right."

--

The next hour was spent wandering around Hollow Bastion. Leon finally found a place totally devoid of people, suiting him wonderfully. The cave was about twenty feet square, filled with crystals that refracted light every which way. Leon set down his Gunblade, the clattering seeming too loud in the small space.

He slid down the wall, his leather jacket scraping the rocks. Now what? Aerith hadn't given him a copy of _Talking To Yourself for Dummies_. The silence ate at him, and Leon felt like crawling up the walls. He ran a hand through his hair, jaw tight with frustration.

_See?_ he thought acidly. _You make me do this._ _You_. Leon clenched his fists, anger and frustration spilling out of him. He felt like he was going insane. Maybe everyone was mad when they were alone.

_"I don't want the future. I want the present to stand still. I want to stay here with you..."_

Time wasn't healing his wounds, it was infecting them. It was festering, slow decay that was eating Leon from the inside out. How could you stay sane with a disease like that?

"Every time someone hugs me, all I can feel is you," he muttered, coloring red. "You had on a blue turtleneck. I had on gloves, but I could still tell that your hair was soft." Leon paused. "I can still feel it sometimes."

Leon couldn't remember a time that he'd been that desperate to see someone, when he was waiting for her. And then, she was there, in his arms, fitting like the puzzle piece you'd finally found. She was warm and inviting (basically his antithesis) and all he wanted to do was bury his face in her hair. So he had.

"Rinoa," he said, testing the name on his tongue. It was agonizing and satisfying at the same time-- like taking a giant gulp of scalding hot coffee. Leon leaned back against the wall again, abruptly limp. "Did you know," he remarked, "that Yuffie has your hair? That's why I freaked out when she talked about growing it out. Tifa already looks too much like you, another replica isn't what I need."

Leon trailed off, feeling immensely foolish but simply too apathetic and drained to care. "I…" He couldn't even talk to himself. This was a new low. _Speak, stupid_. "I think I still love you," he said, so quietly that Leon couldn't tell whether it was spoken aloud or simply in his mind. "And I know that I shouldn't."

They used to say that Rinoa would 'want him to be happy.' What did they know? They didn't know Rinoa. They didn't know a thing about what she would have wanted. But Squall… he knew. She'd do her little cockeyed smile (Aerith's was a bit similar) and whisk him somewhere totally out of his comfort zone, leaving his darker self in the dust.

"Is that what you want?" Leon asked. "For me to just do something crazy?"

_"I don't know what to do… this is just another crossroad in my life. But, for the first time, I don't know which way to go."_

Leon took a breath, trying to steady himself. He was not the same man that he had been with Rinoa. He'd fallen long and hard—going from a promising SeeD mercenary to the leader of a town that kept falling apart no matter how hard he tried to hold it up. Leon fingered the Griever around his neck, exhaling. "I don't think I can do this anymore," he confessed quietly.

_"I've come this far because I've… fallen for you… Rinoa… now… am I just supposed to let you go?"_

Leon closed his eyes, his heart aching. Letting go was unfathomable, but going on like this was spitting on Rinoa's values. What she would have wanted.

_Well, she wouldn't have wanted you angsting in a cave, would she?_ Leon took a breath. No, of course not.

Maybe he didn't have to let go. Maybe… he could just hold on less tightly.

--

Leon made his way back to the town, feeling like an intruder. Couples exchanged gifts all around, freely kissing on street corners. Yuffie had taken the opportunity to pick everyone's pockets, as he could tell from her bulging pockets. Cloud was looking extremely confused at a flower stand, scratching the back of his head. The blonde caught sight of Leon and gestured to him.

Cloud's blue eyes were torn. "I have no idea what to get."

"You're dating a flower girl and know nothing about flowers?" Leon raised a brow. Cloud just scowled.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

Leon cast a critical eye over the floral arrangements. "Try the white lilies," he suggested.

Cloud mumbled a thanks, purchasing a bouquet. The two walked together for awhile, quiet. Cloud took a breath, not meeting Leon's eyes. "How are you doing?" he asked quietly.

_"Squall, we wanna help you, as much as we can, for as long as we can. We all love you. There, I said it. Please don't freak out. We just wanna live, y'know, live through this time with you, together."_

"Better," Leon said. Not wanting to die, at least. That was better.

Cloud seemed relieved at this. "You know…" he began casually, "a couple just opened up a new restaurant in the downtown borough. Supposed to have great pizza."

Leon looked at him quizzically. Cloud sighed. "Yuffie's never been taken out for Valentine's Day. She told me."

Leon was slightly surprised. While Yuffie was young, she was extremely pretty. "No one?"

"No one."

"Hn."

More silence. Cloud sighed. "Go take her out to dinner, Squall."

"Wha—_me_?"

"Yes, you." The blonde rolled his eyes, then his expression softened. "Don't miss out on what's right in front of you."

_"Squall… you missed out on all the good things in life. You've missed out on so much."_

"…maybe."

_"Keep it in the back of your mind. Call on us whenever you need to. We'll be waiting."_

Cloud studied Leon's face. "So?"

"Hm?" Leon shook himself away from his thoughts.

"Will you take her?"

_"Come on… please? For me? There's no point if you don't show up!"_

"…Sure. I'll take her."

Cloud smiled. "You're a good guy, Leonheart."

He smirked. "Save the Hallmark moments for Aerith, Cloud. You're going to need to charm her more than me."

The blonde paled a little, as if suddenly remembering the flowers in his hand. "Guess so." He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Good luck," he said, smiling nervously.

"You too." Leon fingered the Griever around his neck.

_"Like I said, who knows what's gonna happen in the future… but I have a feeling we'll be together for awhile."_

things are looking up.

* * *

Review and you will make my life complete. Seriously.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** The railing was old, rickety, and would probably stick him full of splinters before he got ten feet.


	9. Balustrade

**06. ****balustrade (leon, yuffie)**

(inspired by the dictionary)

Yuffie's high-pitched giggles echoed through the hall. "Come on, Squall! It's fun."

"It's Leon. And no, I don't think it sounds fun at all."

Yuffie was perched at the bottom of the staircase. "You haven't even tried it!"

Leon raised a brow. "Did it ever occur to you that the point of a balustrade on a staircase is to _prevent_ people from falling, not to _help_ them?"

"A balu-_what_?"

"Balustrade. Railing on a staircase." He had actually _read_ the books in the old library that they were in, instead of using the shelves for shuriken practice. The pair had decided to spend the afternoon poking around the old ruins and had gravitated to the library.

"Whatever," Yuffie snorted. "I think you're afraid of ruining your whole dark-boy emo image."

Leon scowled. "I'm not emo."

"You've already got the leather, piercing, and brood. Just accept it."

"Yuffie, I am _not_ emo."

"Really?" She grinned, waggling her eyebrows. "Prove it."

He'd walked right into that one.

Leon examined the railing. It was old, rickety, and would probably stick him full of splinters before he got ten feet. "That's not safe. I can't believe you didn't fall."

"I slide down this banister all the time. And don't even talk to me about getting hurt on staircases, unless there's a hundred bloodthirsty Heartless at the bottom."

Leon sighed. They were alone. How much harm could it do? Tentatively he sat on the top of the balustrade, setting his Gunblade on the floor. Then he pushed off, whizzing down with surprising speed and crashing right into Yuffie. They sprawled onto the floor, debris clouding around them.

Yuffie laughed, and the sound made Leon grin a bit. "That was GREAT, Squall!" She turned over onto her back, facing the swordsman. "Toldja it was fun."

He propped himself up on his elbows. "I guess it wasn't that bad," he admitted.

Yuffie jumped up. "I used to try and hit that little square of bookshelf on the way down," she told him, pointing to a spot with a tiny bull's eye painted onto it. "Bet you twenty munny you can't hit it."

Twenty munny sounded good.

Two hours later Aerith opened the door quietly, peeking through the crack. Leon and Yuffie were jumping around on a staircase, throwing various things at a bookshelf that had seen better days. Yuffie's bandana was missing, and Leon's jacket was around her shoulders. Ninja stars and shells from Leon's Gunblade were scattered everywhere.

The flower girl closed the door gently, a smile spreading across her face. Her cell vibrated in her pocket. "Did you find those two punks?" Cid asked, his voice sounding even rougher over the phone.

"They're fine," she answered. "Fixing a staircase."

* * *

Light, waffy fluff to contrast the previous, more serious chapter. Reviews are welcomed with warm chocolate-chip cookies... yummy.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Yuffie looked up, her mouth twisted into a little smirk, and then she threw a shuriken right into Leon's face.


	10. Medieval

**10. medieval (leon, yuffie)** for _Princess of the Knight_

Leon wasn't a masochist, but he did practice chivalry. Not to an insane degree, mind you (that was just creepy), but women deserved respect. Simple as that. He was too messed-up to be a knight in shining armor, and gallantry wasn't exactly his thing, but a degree of courteousness seemed appropriate.

Except, um, this wasn't the Middle Ages. Yuffie and Aerith weren't crying out from a tower to be saved (the very image of Yuffie as Rapunzel made even Leon crack a smile.) No, they would be karate-chopping the guards, kicking in doors, and picking locks.

Actually, maybe that was just Yuffie. Aerith would be a little more refined in her escape.

Anyways. So Leon and Yuffie were out patrolling and ran into a group of Heartless. Everything went as per usual— general hacking of limbs, Heartless death, and war cries all around. After it was all over Leon was leaning against a wall, trying to catch his breath after nearly being crushed by a Morning Star, while Yuffie sat on the ground panting.

He offered her a hand, chivalrous man he was. Yuffie looked up, her mouth twisted into a little smirk, and then she threw a shuriken _right at his face_.

Leon reared back, falling to the ground. "What the heck was that for?" he snapped.

Yuffie pointed behind him, and Leon saw the Neoshadow that had been creeping up on him with a shuriken embedded in its cranium. It was twitching a little, amber eyes vacant. "…Ah."

The ninja grinned and pranced over to him. "Need a hand there, princess?" she asked, a smug little grin on her face.

The grin was what pushed him over the edge. Leon swept his leg right into Yuffie's knees, sending her tumbling to the ground. They then began a very un-chivalrous brawl. Yuffie elbowed him in the gut. "You can't beat a ninja," she gasped, trying to put Leon in a headlock. "Don't even try."

"Oh, really?" Leon then proceeded to jab her in the side, right below the ribcage. Yuffie squealed and recoiled, losing her grip.

"No fair! You can't use ticklish spots!"

"That wasn't established beforehand."

"You dirty cheater!"

"What are you two _doing_?"

The pair jumped up, facing an annoyed Aerith. "Honestly," the flower girl huffed. "You'd think you were six!"

They mumbled apologies, and Aerith just sighed, turning back to the house. Yuffie stuck her tongue out at Leon from behind her back, grinning like a loon.

Yuffie wasn't a princess, stranded in a tower and pining away. She was a ninja that would whack you in the head with a shuriken and get into fights in the middle of the street. She was a million different crazy things, and Leon liked her just as she was—the anti-Rapunzel.

All the same, when they got back to Merlin's house, he held open the door for her.

* * *

Last Squall/Yuffie for awhile. Promise.

I updated stories to list characters at the beginning, and credit prompts to their promptees. Is promptees a word? Oh well, it is now. Next up are Cloud and Yuffie.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ: **"No prob, Spiky. I always liked my men covered in chocolate, anyways!" (for Loserfish and Darkened-Skys)


	11. Verisimilitude

**07. verisimilitude (cloud, yuffie)** for _Loserfish_ and _Darkened-Skys_

Clashes echoed throughout the cliffs as metal met metal. Cloud felt tremors travel through his body as a Morning Star slammed into him like a freight train. Rolling sideways, he glanced over his shoulder. "Yuf! You okay?"

The ninja sent a Neoshadow sprawling with a roundhouse kick and sliced sideways with Conformer (her favorite shuriken, it seemed.) Cloud could see that her headband was plastered against her forehead with sweat, and the snarky comments she always made during battle were absent. "Fine, Cloud," she gasped.

The blonde opened his mouth to speak again when a Fiagra spell lifted him off of his feet and sent him crashing into the cliff wall. He blindly slashed out with his buster sword, curling up into a defensive position. Cloud struck once more, and the Heartless dissipated into the air. He patted his pocket for a potion and groaned. All out. This day just kept getting better.

Cloud brought his gaze up just in time to see Yuffie get slammed into the cliff wall like a rag doll. Her head cracked against the wall and she collapsed, motionless. "_Yuffie!"_ He hacked his way through the Heartless, panic lending his tired body energy. Cloud quickly slung the girl over his shoulder, taking small relief and feeling her breath against his arm. It was time to leave—he could come back later with Leon, clean this place out.

He deflected a blow, mind racing. They were too far out from the town; the Heartless would probably wear them down before they reached the bailey. _The caves_. Of course. He could lose them in the twisting fissures and lay low for a bit, recoup. Cloud secured the ninja on his shoulder and wiped the blood from his forehead, preparing himself for a long run.

--

Yuffie groaned, feeling like a rusty car trying to start up on a cold winter day. Blinking slowly, she looked around. They were in one of the caves outside the Bastion. A small fire burned in the center of the space, the crystals on the wall reflecting it and casting odd shadows everywhere. Cloud was propped up against the opposite wall, sharpening his sword.

He looked up. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Like I got run over by a truck. Actually, more like I got run over by an airship because Cid was drunk at the wheel."

Cloud couldn't help but grin a bit. "Close."

Yuffie touched her head gingerly and winced. "Crap." She looked up, slightly alarmed to see stars dotting the sky. "How long have we been here?"

The blonde fished a waterproof watch out of his pocket. "Three, three-and-a-half hours."

Yuffie moaned. "Aerith was going to make her chicken noodle soup today! Aaaargh! I can't believe I missed it!" She crossed her arms over her chest, thoroughly irritated.

There was silence for awhile as Yuffie stewed. Cloud went back to sharpening his sword. The ninja was quiet for all of two minutes.

"Well?" she demanded. "Aren't you going to say something?"

"Um… sorry that you missed your soup?"

Yuffie snorted. They were both silent for a minute, and then Yuffie scooted over to Cloud and dumped out all the contents of his backpack onto the floor.

"Wait—_Yuffie!_—what are you doing?" Cloud tried to gather up his stuff, but Yuffie simply twisted away from him, flexible as spaghetti.

"Nuh-uh, Cloudy. You made me miss dinner, so we're gonna _make_ some!"

Cloud's mouth twisted. "Neither of us can cook," he stated bluntly. "At all."

"I'll be the judge of that!" Whistling to herself, Yuffie proceeded to sift through everything in the blonde's knapsack. "You've got so much crap!" she exclaimed, throwing something over her shoulder carelessly. "Clean this thing out, blondie. There's more junk in here than in Cid's garage, and that's sayin' something. Aaah, what have we here?" Yuffie pulled out a bag of marshmallows. "Sugar craving, Spike?"

"They're good for energy."

"You are such a liar." Yuffie stood up, falling into a Cloud-like stance using a twig for a sword. "Ooh, Sephiroth, don't come near me! I've got a marshmallow and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Ha-ha."

"I'm here till Thursday." Yuffie set the marshmallows aside and resumed picking through the backpack. "No graham crackers? Men really do suck at planning ahead. You don't have marshmallows without _graham crackers_, Cloudy!" She thrust the bag at him. "Roast these, will you?"

Cloud opened his mouth to protest, then gave up. Casting an eye over the contents of his backpack, Cloud pulled out a long, thin piece of wire (a lockpick, actually) and began toasting the marshmallow. Yuffie began digging through her pockets, and Cloud couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. "What are you doing?"

"We're gonna make delicious snacks, Cloudy!"

"…snacks?"

Yuffie grinned like a loon and pulled out a bar of chocolate that was badly warped from being stuck in the ninja's jeans. "Aha! There we go. Fan-freakin'-tastic s'mores, heck yes! We're gonna eat _w-e-e-eell_ tonight."

Cloud furrowed his brow. "I thought you needed graham--"

She wagged a finger in his face. "Not with Yuffie-s'mores. Watch." She carefully broke the chocolate bar into four large squares, pulling the skewer out of the blonde's hands. She then sandwiched the marshmallow between two squares, popping the entire thing into her mouth in one bite. "Delischous," she mumbled past a mouthful of sugar. "You haulf t' try 'un."

Cloud took the second s'more and examined it dubiously. The chocolate in Yuffie's pocket had probably been exposed to a million nasty things, and his backpack wasn't exactly squeaky-clean either. "Yuf," he started, "I don't think--"

Yuffie then crammed the entire thing into his mouth, grinning as Cloud coughed and hacked. "See? See? I told you it was amazing."

After a few minutes of gagging, Cloud wiped off his mouth with his sleeve, thankful that he always wore dark colors. Cid would tease him for weeks if he'd come home with a giant smear of chocolate and marshmallow all over his clothes. The sickly sweetness of the s'more coated his mouth, and he reached for a long draught of water from his canteen before realizing he had used it all up cleaning up Yuffie's head wound. He mumbled a curse.

Cloud took a moment to compose himself before fixing Yuffie with his most serious gaze. The ninja was licking the marshmallow gunk off of his lockpick, which made this degree of seriousness slightly difficult. "Yuffie."

She looked up at him, bright brown eyes wide as Bambi's. "Yeah?"

He took a breath, deciding to skip the s'more lecture for now and go right to the 'don't do stupid things on the battlefield' one. "Listen, you could have gotten killed out there. We have go get back before it gets too dark and the Heartless reform." He studied her carefully, slipping into his old AVALANCE leader mode. "You have to be careful, all right? I've had more battle experience than you. You've got to trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Yuffie nodded wordlessly, biting her lip. "Right," she squeaked, "I'll, er--" Then she burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. "I'm--- I'm sorry, Cloud, it's just--"

He folded his arms, irritated. "What?"

She looked up at him, trying to catch her breath. "You've got melted chocolate on your nose," she managed.

He instantly scrubbed at the spot. Yuffie just laughed harder. "You're making it worse!"

"Help me, then!"

Trying to quell her laugher, Yuffie licked the tip of her finger and rubbed Cloud's nose. "There. You're good."

Cloud's cheeks were tinged with pink. "…Thanks."

"No prob, Spiky. I always liked my men covered in chocolate, anyways!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Let's just go."

The two made their way back to the town, taking care of the Heartless as they went. Yuffie twirled a shuriken in her hands absently, and Cloud slung his broadsword over his shoulders.

"Leon's gonna be _ma-a-a-d_ that he missed out on the rumble!" Yuffie said, prancing around. "We musta made like, two thousand munny today."

"Yeah."

Yuffie twirled around and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You're a good guy, Strife," she said, winking. "Loosen up a little." Then she danced ahead a few steps, throwing a ninja star into the face of a wandering Shadow.

Cloud could feel his hair sticking to the spot where Yuffie had pecked him, her mouth still sticky with marshmallow and chocolate. It was going to take forever to get that out. But for some reason, Cloud just didn't care.

"I think Aerith has some graham crackers at home," he remarked off-handedly. "I'll be sure to pack them next time."

"You know what's REALLY good on s'mores?" Yuffie asked, turning on her heel and not waiting for an answer. "Sugar cubes!"

One step at a time, Strife. One step at a time.

* * *

A more abstract take on the word prompt, verisimilitude. Read it as Clouffie or friendship, however you wish. Either way, they're just cute.

You review. I'll reply. We'll both live happily ever after, savvy?

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** She raced through the streets, weapon at the ready, but the sweet smell of lavender still hung in her mind. (for _FrostFire15-Boldheart'sLoyalty_)


	12. Lavender

**11. lavender (aerith, sephiroth, cloud)** for _FrostFire15-Boldheart'sLoyalty_

_She raced through the streets, weapon at the ready, but the smell of sweet lavender still hung in her mind..._

Aerith liked being clean. She showered regularly (unlike Yuffie, who practically had to be tranquilized and shoved into the tub.) However, the feeling of dirt crumbling under her fingertips was one of her favorite sensations. Creating new life. Being in touch with nature, with her roots.

For once, she had decided to indulge herself. She wasn't planting something 'useful' like Leon would prefer, like vegetables or herbs. Instead, she was planting lavender. The scent had always awakened something wistful and nostalgic within her, something just out of her reach. She breathed in the scent deeply, letting it fill her nose and permeate her clothing. If peace had a smell, this would be it. Lavender could deal with the cold snap that Hollow Bastion was currently experiencing—Yuffie had been stealing Leon's warm leather jacket often, leaving him with nothing but a white T-shirt to patrol with. There had been several fights about that particular issue.

A child trampled through the garden, smeared with dirt and blood. "Aerith!" he gulped, gasping for air. "They need help in the square, and he just fell over, and--"

She silenced him with a finger, sealing his cuts with a Cure spell. "Slowly. What happened?"

The boy pushed stringy hair out of his eyes. "Sora and Donald and Goofy, they came in, but then a bunch of Heartless just appeared, and they're gettin' beat pretty bad." His voice was laced with panic. "You can help, right?"

"Of course." The flower girl grabbed a hoe. She raced through the streets, weapon at the ready, but the sweet smell of lavender still hung in her mind.

--

For once, Sora had been the first to fall. Goofy was standing over him, trying to fend of a dozen blows with his heavy shield. "Donald!" he shouted. "We have to get out of here!"

The duck fried a ring of Shadows. "There's not an opening!" he quacked, adjusting his grip on his staff. His feathers were caked with dust and sweat ran into his eyes, making them burn.

A massive Thundaga spell sent six Heartless into oblivion, along with Donald's eardrums. He whirled around to see mild-mannered Aerith with a ferocious look on her face, using a hoe has a staff. "Donald," she said evenly, circling around a Large Body. "Check on Sora, please."

The duck scrambled to the fallen boy, doing a quick check for broken bones. "All right, you can move him," he told Goofy. He hadn't been able to spare magic for a Cure spell—he needed it to keep them alive. Goofy hoisted Sora over his shoulder, moving to stand next to Aerith.

The flower girl had transformed from a gardener into a warrior. Her eyes roved the crowd, and she occasionally loosed a fireball at any Heartless that got too close. The pack of Heartless formed a tight ring around them, maybe five feet from Aerith's deadly hoe.

Donald couldn't squelch his curiosity, even in the midst of battle. The King had always joked that he should have been born a cat, quipping that he and Goofy fought like cats and dogs anyway. "How… have you always been this powerful?"

Aerith's eyes flickered. "I had some talents in my other world," she answered cryptically.

"Yes, you did."

Shivers ran down Donald's spine that had nothing to do with the cold. That voice was burnt into his mind. It reeked of death, more so than the Heartless he fought daily. Turning, Donald saw exactly who he expected to see.

"Sephiroth," Aerith breathed.

The Heartless dissipated into the air like a sigh. Donald cast a frantic glance at Sora, who was still out cold. Blood trickled from his mouth, and Goofy shrugged helplessly. Aerith hadn't torn her gaze from Sephiroth since he had appeared.

"Cloud isn't here to help you now," he intoned ominously. His voice seemed to swallow up every other sound until there was nothing left but Aerith's shallow breathing. The absolute silence was a stark contrast to the raging of battle only moments before. Donald mentally gauged how long he could take the swordsman alone and came to the conclusion that he'd be sliced to ribbons in five seconds.

"What do you want?" Aerith asked, her voice wavering slightly. She was afraid. "We're not on Gaia anymore. There's no mako here. No materia. Nothing to interest you."

"Cloud is here," he answered coolly. "Reason enough."

"Why do you hate Cloud so much?" Donald asked. Sephiroth turned to him as if noticing the duck for the first time.

"Cloud is a spineless, self-pitying fool," Sephiroth spat. "He makes a habit in meddling in others' affairs." He turned back to Aerith, and for the first time his mouth curled up into a smirk. "It has a tendency to kill the people around him."

Aerith's eyes burned angrily. "You will not destroy what we've worked for here!"

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows, amused. They stood in silence for a moment, and a cool wind send pebbles skittering across the ground. Donald shivered. Sephiroth was studying Aerith carefully, pondering. "…Do you think you're normal here?" he said slowly.

Aerith's eyes were tormented. Donald placed a hand on her arm. "Aerith, I can stall for you. Go find Leon."

She didn't even hear him. "I'm… if there's no Planet—there aren't Cetras here --"

Sephiroth was shaking his head. "Aeris," he said quietly, using her name for the first time. "You will never be normal."

She closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. "You don't know me at all."

"Regrettable, truly." His eyes took on a more urgent look. "Aeris," he repeated, using that curious pronunciation of her name again. "It isn't too late for this world."

She looked up at him, suspicion shining in her eyes. He brushed back silvery hair from his face. "All I want," he said slowly, "is Cloud. You have him."

"What do you mean, I have him?"

"Your light," he said simply. "The others assist him, but you're the strongest by far. You anchor him." Sephiroth's gaze bored into Aerith, and Donald noticed for the first time that his pupils were slitted like a cat's. "Let him go. Give him to me and ransom your friends."

Aerith stood stock still for a moment, almost laughing in incredulity. "…You're insane," she said finally.

Sephiroth shook his head lightly. "It's a simple choice. Let him duel with me, or make me pick off your friends until he loses his mind."

Aerith took a shaky breath. "Why haven't you killed me?" she whispered.

"You've no use to me dead. Unless Cloud is watching."

The cold ruthlessness of the statement stunned Donald. He was different than Ansem and Xemnas, colder than ice, colder and more terrifying than anything he'd ever known. "Get out of here," Donald commanded. "Now."

Sephiroth paid no attention. "Think it over, flower girl," he said. "I won't wait forever."

And he was gone.

Aerith was trembling, and Donald was fairly sure that it wasn't from the cold.

"Guys?" Goofy's voice snapped them both out of their stupor. "We've gotta get to Merlin's. Sora needs to get a Curaga, now."

"Of course," Aerith said hazily. "Yes. Let's go."

--

Donald sat sipping tea, letting it warm his insides. The tip of his beak felt like it had frozen solid. Sora was sitting up blearily, clutching a steaming mug with both hands. He was still half-asleep and groggy from both magic and the aftereffects of a concussion.

Merlin and Goofy had gone out to find Leon. Aerith was absently steeping a cup of tea for herself, staring off into space. "Aerith?" Donald asked quietly. "Do you want to talk?"

She looked at him, melancholy and pensive. "Cloud and Sephiroth have been feuding for years. I just… I thought it was over."

"But why? What started it?" Donald could understand fighting—he'd been doing that for the last two years. But never had he, Goofy, or Sora had ever developed such an intense hatred for their opponent.

"There's been quite a few things," she replied. "Sephiroth used to be a hero. Everyone looked up to him. _I_ looked up to him. Then… he turned." Aerith blew on her tea. "He murdered many people. Tried to destroy our home." She met his eyes. "He killed me. In front of Cloud. He had to perform the funeral rites."

Donald was speechless. "But… you're here."

"I don't know how. I believe that I was materialized from the Lifestream when the world boarders dissolved. A cosmic shuffle, and here I am." She smiled sadly. "I thought that we could make a new start here."

"You can--" Donald stopped speaking as the door opened and a tall figure stepped in, clothed in black. Cloud brushed a shock of blonde hair out of his eyes, then immediately picked up on the somber mood.

"What happened?" he asked, instantly on guard. His gaze shifted to Aerith, and he unconsciously slid off his red cloak and placed it around her shoulders to ward off the cold. "What's wrong?"

Donald looked at the ground. "Well, um--"

"Sephiroth talked to me," Aerith murmured.

Cloud's breath hitched. "What did he say?" he asked quietly.

She repeated their conversation. Cloud closed his eyes and sunk onto the steps. "I thought this may happen," he mumbled. Looking about, he noticed Donald for the first time. "Could you give us a moment?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Of course." Donald scurried out of the room, noting with relief that Sora had fallen back asleep on Merlin's bed. He'd track down Goofy and talk to Cid later.

--

Aerith set her tea down and pulled Cloud's cloak around her, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Cloud hadn't moved from the steps in the center of the room. "He's trying to turn me," he said, his voice muffled by the hand over his face. "He's trying to turn me to the dark so he can take me over like last time." He lifted his eyes to hers, childlike in his desperation. "Aerith, I don't know if I can stop him."

She felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I know you can," she said.

He was quiet, his eyes softening. They simply looked at each other for a time. The clock ticked on. "You look beautiful," he said softly.

She couldn't help but to smile through her tears. "It's your cape."

"It's not the cape," he replied huskily. He stood and crossed the room to fold her into his arms. Aerith willingly melted into him, burying her face into his chest. He rubbed her neck slowly.

She titled her head up, searching his features. "We can do it," she said. _We have to._

Cloud rubbed tear stains and dirt from her face with his thumb and brushed his lips against hers. "I found my light," he breathed, keeping his forehead against Aerith's. "I found you. We're stronger."

Aerith kissed him again, lingering. "You're right."

Words faded away as Cloud closed the tiny distance between the two, moving his hands to her hips and pulling her tightly to him. Aerith entwined her arms around his neck, sighing softly into his mouth. Cloud ran his fingers through her hair, pulling out the ribbon and unwinding her braid. The tip of his vest tickled her chin, and she ran a hand across his collarbone lightly.

Aerith pulled back, dizzy from lack of oxygen. Cloud kissed the indent below her ear softly, trailing down her neck. "I love you," he mumbled, his breath warm against her skin.

Aerith kept her arms around him as their breathing slowed, tucking her head underneath Cloud's chin. Safe and secure, Aerith realized something with a smile. Cloud smelled like lavender.

* * *

Yes, so this was one of my favorite prompts and favorite chapters. Lavender here alludes to peace (this was suggested in the beginning and reinforced at the end.) If this doesn't garner at least seven reviews, I think I'm packing up. So please, please review.

So thank you again for the wonderful prompt, Frostfire! I'm running out of prompts (maybe only two left?) So all of you who would like to challenge me, please, feel free. If you've sent in a challenge, go ahead and send in another. If you haven't reviewed yet but are following the story, this is a perfect time to get into the wonderful Golden Circle of Reviewers and send me a word/phrase/challenge/whatever. Just try and stump me.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Aerith learns how to make a new dish, and Sora learns firsthand the hazards of Wutain cuisine.


	13. Surf n' Turf & Wasabi

**13. surf n' turf & wasabi (sora, aerith) (sora, yuffie)**

* * *

_--surf n' turf_

Aerith hummed quietly, pouring two mugs of tea. She set one down in front of Sora, who set in a bag to steep. They sat there for a moment, naught to be heard but the muted sounds of the city behind Merlin's heavy wooden door.

Sora sipped the tea, sighing. "Thanks, Aerith."

She smiled warmly. "Anytime."

"What are you guys having for dinner tonight?"

Aerith laughed. Teenage boys had two things on their mind: girls and food. "I'm not sure yet." Sora frequently made stops in the Bastion, often dropping in for a meal and a place to stay when gummi ship rations got to be too tiresome. While Donald and Goofy shopped in the Marketplace, Sora would check in with everyone and often stop in for tea and a chat with Aerith. Donald had refused to let Sora purchase anything, as he apparently had no mind for money.

The Keyblade Master stretched out in his chair. "Back home," he said, "me and Kairi and Riku would get a twelve-pack of cola and drink it out on the beach." She saw his eyes grow wistful. "Then after we drank it all, we'd go to the mainland for surf n' turf. Good times."

Aerith swirled her tea bag. "What's surf and turf?"

Sora looked surprised. "You've never hand surf n' turf?" The mage shook her head. Sora got up from his chair and began pawing through the cupboards. "We've gotta make some. Right here, right now."

Aerith followed him. "What do we need?"

"Some kind of seafood. Shrimp, lobster…"

"We have some shrimp."

"Cool. And then some steak."

Aerith pulled out a ribeye and turned on the stove. "Now what?"

Sora guided her through the steps and soon they had the two proteins sizzling away. Aerith snuck a glance at the spiky-haired brunette. He was watching his shrimp with an eagle eye, jiggling his skillet to ensure that it was cooked perfectly. "I didn't know you were a cook," she said.

Sora shrugged. "I'm not, really. But my mom taught me how to make this when I was a little kid. My house is right by the sea, and we'd set out nets to catch the shrimp during the night so we could fry everything in the morning." He smiled ruefully. "Mom always made me get up too early. By the time I was actually out of bed, she'd already be working." He set down his skillet and began pulling leaves off of a head of lettuce, scattering them over a platter.

Aerith deftly slid the steak from the cutting board to the plate, cutting into its center to ensure that it was the light, rosy pink of medium-rare. "It's the same way here. I get up to make coffee and breakfast every day." She grinned. "Guess it's a woman thing."

Sora turned off the oven and scraped his shrimp next to the steak. "I hope not. Donald wakes up the earliest of us all, and I think Daisy would be mad to find out that he was a girl."

Aerith laughed. The two grabbed silverware and sat at the table. "Dig in," Sora prompted.

Aerith speared a shrimp. It sizzled, still hot, oozing with garlic butter. She popped it into her mouth and squeaked. "It's great!"

Sora grinned widely. "You like it?"

"I love it."

Sora took a bite, chewing critically. "Yeah, it's passable," he said, grinning. "Haven't made it in forever. Tastes like home."

Aerith rested her chin on her hand. "Miss it?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged, his eyes downward. "Yeah. A lot." Then he looked up, flashing her a smile. "That's why I come here all the time."

"Why?"

"Well, you guys are the closest thing I've got."

* * *

_--wasabi_

Sora looked at Yuffie's lunch curiously. "What's that?"

"This?" Yuffie held up a morsel of food between two chopsticks (Sora had learned what chopsticks were from Mulan, and failed miserably at using them.) "It's sushi."

"You mean like, raw fish and seaweed?"

"Yup." She popped the sushi roll into her mouth, picking up a few grains of rice with a dexterity that amazed him. "Wutain food, you know. Sushi. Sashami. The works."

"Wutai?"

Yuffie smacked her forehead. "Where I come from, you dolt. Tribe of Wutai! This--" she waved a sushi roll in his face before popping it into her mouth—"is what we eat." She dipped another piece-- fish and rice only-- fish side down into a greenish paste.

Sora sat down beside her. "Can I try one?"

The ninja shrugged. "Sure. I just got a bunch of nori, so I'm good for a while."

Sora decided not to ask what nori was and instead picked up a pair of chopsticks. He arranged them in his hands awkwardly, the two shafts sliding over one another and crossing at the ends. For once, Yuffie was silent as she watched Sora try to pick up a sushi roll. It was chased around the table as the chopsticks clicked unsuccessfully.

"Ugh! Forget it. I give up." With that, Sora proceeded to spear the roll with the end of his chopstick like a shish-kabob and swallow it. Yuffie watched his face as he chewed slowly. "Hm. Not bad." He swallowed. "One more?"

Yuffie pushed her plate towards him. Sora stuck his chopstick into another roll and dipped it into the yellow-green goo that Yuffie had used earlier, then lifted the sushi to his mouth.

"Hey hey hey HEY!" Yuffie broke in, hastily batting the roll away. "That's wasabi. Really spicy stuff. It's not good for beginners, 'kay?"

Sora huffed. "I battle villains every day. I think I can handle a little spicy food."

"Your funeral."

Sora stuck out his tongue at her and ate the sushi. "See?" he said through a mouthful of rice. "Totally fine."

"Wait five seconds."

After three, Sora could feel a tingle in his nose. Suddenly a flash of blinding heat exploded in his head, blowing out his sinuses and making his eyes tear up. He gasped and banged the table, unable to speak. All he could do was suck in air and try not to incinerate himself. "Holy…" he wheezed, pawing the table for a glass of water.

Yuffie was doubled over laughing, watching the Keyblade Master chug water as if his life depended on it. His face was beet red, and tears leaked from his eyes. "Good luck getting Kairi to kiss you now! Her mouth would be on fire for a week!"

Against all odds, Sora went even redder.

* * *

Two for the price of one! I got more requests, and am very happy. I'm always open to challenge. Anyways, this was spawned from watching too much Food Network. I tried to make the sushi stuff easy to understand for non-sushi eaters. Surf and turf is a classic coast dish, and I feel that Sora doesn't get to show his native culture enough. He's an island kid at heart, _mon_.

Reviews are more lovely than roses and smell way better too.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** You think you've played with fire? You've only lit sparklers, my friend.


	14. Roman Candle

**14. roman candle (cloud, axel)**

They really were quite interesting.

Fighting, fighting, fighting. That was pretty much their whole lives. There they were, all blood-sweat-tears (well, maybe not that last one because the first two had gone on too long.)

Axel was fascinated by them.

After the horde-o-Heartless had began their siege of the Bastion, Axel went out to watch the show. It was pathetic and inspiring at the same time. All of them fighting against impossible odds, because they were too stupid to pack up, already.

…man, he just couldn't stop watching.

Axel was trailing Sora lazily, watching him fight through the fissure. Barriers routinely went up and Sora fought through them gamely, doing his part to battle the impossible odds with his stupid friends.

First up was the freaky ninja who didn't wear clothes. She was slim (not petite, because that seemed to suggest fragility and she sure as heck not fragile) with almond eyes that slanted upwards gently and crinkled at the ends when she smiled, which was all the time. But especially so when she was shoving her ninja-star-things into Heartless. The kunochi (he had learned that term from Larxene, who had been very irritated when he had called her a ninja) pranced around like some kind of ballerina from the Underworld, cheerily informing Heartless of all the ways she was going to kill them.

Interesting.

Then was the guy with the scar who felt compelled to wear leather on every inch of his body. He reminded Axel of Lexaeus in many ways. His battle cries were not the playful taunts of the kunochi—they were simply shouts of anger and determination. Heavy boots thumped on the stones below as the man chopped through Heartless with his giant sword-o-doom, occasionally firing a round at them. Brushing sweaty brown hair away from his eyes, the man ran off to help wherever it was needed.

Stupid.

Now who? Ah yes, it was the girl who liked to punch things. She was clad in some kind of black… _thing_ with sneakers. Brown hair fell over maroon eyes that sparkled impishly. "Don't say I didn't warn you!" she chirped, catching a Heartless with a roundhouse so powerful Axel winced. She was always looking for someone (although in Axel's opinion, she sure was a crappy detective because he could find people way faster than that.) Axel also thought she should wear some brass knuckles or something, so that she didn't freaking near break her hand every time she punched something. Sora ran on quickly after defeating the latest batch, and the woman stayed back to help the others.

Pointless.

Last one. A giant shockwave sent Heartless scattering, and Sora attacked the stunned creatures. Axel caught his breath. This guy was…

…well, he looked just like Roxas.

Clear blue eyes raked over the area out from beneath feathery blonde hair, cold and flat and angry with the world. He was dressed in enough black to pass rank as Organization. In his hands was the biggest sword that Axel had ever seen, nearly as tall as the man himself and wound with tattered rope that hung off the blade like the folds of an antique robe. He took powerful steps, slamming through Heartless like a whirlwind, unleashing a deep hatred on all of them like they were responsible for all of his problems. Maybe they were.

The pair quickly dispatched of the remaining Heartless, and the man seemed to have disappeared when Axel looked back. Sora disappeared into a fissure, with a confused Goofy trailing behind in the wake of the group's destruction. Roxas wouldn't have been stupid enough not to check the dog's pulse before he just left him for dead. Maybe they _should_ merge. Sora seemed to need the extra IQ points.

Axel twirled his chakrams absently, skimming along the tops of the cliffs, safe from his lofty perch. He caught sight of the blonde man, sitting on the edge of a cliff with his sword resting on the rocks beside him. Cripes, he even sat like Roxas. This guy was creepy.

Axel sauntered over, as much as you could saunter when trying not to fall to your death. "Hey," he said amiably.

This did not elicit any type of verbal response. The man simply looked over his shoulder, then turned his attention back to the melee below. Axel plopped down beside him, slightly too close for comfort (as always.) He cocked a brow. "This how you get your kicks—watchin' people fight for their lives? You wanna do that, you go down to the Underworld. Guy named Hades puts on a great show. All the gore and none of the conscience. Take a left at the dragony-world and go straight on. Got it memorized?"

The man scowled. "I'm not going anywhere _near_ Hades," he mumbled.

Axel raised his brows. "Trouble with the big man? Good luck with that. Spoiler alert: death wins."

"Not always," the man remarked, almost to himself.

Axel snorted. "Yeah, right. You tell me one person that came back from the dead and I'll eat Zexion's dictionary."

"…what?"

"Nevermind." Axel rested himself on his elbows, mentally wincing as a Dancer threw a Heartless into a wall, breaking both. "What's your name?"

The man seemed to suddenly realize that he was having an actual conversation, closing up quickly. "Nothing."

"I didn't ask who _I_ was, I asked who you were."

Surprisingly, the man caught onto the veiled reference. "You're a Nobody," he stated flatly.

"Ten points to you, my man. Nobody it is. Got it memorized?"

The blonde shook his head, turning back to the battle. Axel watched him for a moment.

"You remind me of someone I knew," he remarked, careful to let no trace of emotion work its way into his lax, carefree tone. "Blonde kid, blue eyes, ready to rip out everyone's spines and beat them to death with it. I'm think I'm just going to call you Emo."

"Don't call me emo."

"Right, Emo. That sounds kind of like Elmo. Though you don't look like the ticklish type." Axel felt comfortable again, reveling in what he did best—annoying the absolute heck out of people. "Though I have to admit, other than irritating Larxene, I don't know how your hair manages to do that. Do you stick your finger in a light socket every morning?"

Emo turned to him, a hint of irritation seeping out of his apathy-mask. "So let me get this straight. You have an infatuation with another guy, your coat's a dress that's two sizes to small, and now you're talking to me about hair styles? Are you straight?"

Axel snorted. "Low blow. I'm straight, you're just no good at making conversation."

Emo rolled his eyes. Axel was suddenly irritated. "What… you think your life is so freakin' hard that you can't trust anyone with your name? That it? Well, let me tell you something, kiddo. You think you're playing with fire? You haven't even lit sparklers."

Blue eyes blazed from beneath blonde bangs, but he said nothing. Axel stood up and tried to keep his hands from lighting on fire, as they often did when he was angry. "Get a clue. Use your emotions while you still have them." Axel leaned down until he was next to the man's face. "Got it memorized?"

They stood there, gazes locked, for several seconds. Axel finally straightened up, grunting contemptuously and making for the town.

"Cloud." The man said, his voice cutting through the silence. "I'm Cloud."

The redhead's lip curled upwards, and his green eyes sparked. "Axel. See you around."

And he never did.

* * *

Writing from Axel's point of view is a little strange. Getting inside of his head and trying to write like he'd think. I see him as someone who's mind works ahead of his mouth, and sometimes he makes references that make sense to him but no one else. Cloud can just be obscure sometimes. To clear some of these up... Cloud was referring to KH1 when he talked about not going near Hades, where he made a deal with Hades, which he ended up geting pasted by Cerberus and losing a bit of dignity. Aerith was the one who beat death / Hades. Axel was obviously referencing himself as "nothing," in response to Cloud's remark about his name. The spine-ripping line was inspired by James Patterson's _Maximum Ride_ series. When calling Cloud 'Elmo,' Axel was referring to the Tickle-Me-Elmo toy that used to be so popular.

Whew.

Apologies about the long wait-- my life has shifted into high gear. I'd list everything that I'm doing, but I'd rather not type out another two thousand words. As you know, people are motivated by guilt. If I know that twenty people are reading and reviewing my story, I will be guilted into updating faster. I am feeling a bit guilty now. Sorry about that.

Many thanks to all requesters!

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** You look like you're part of a fairy motorcyle gang. What do they call your gang, "Tinkerbell's Revenge?"


	15. Treasure?

**15. treasure?** **(YRP, cid, leon, yuffie) **for _Water and Earth Alchemist_

"What the--" Cid stood framed in the doorway, his toothpick falling from his lips. It appeared that three tiny people were floating in the air, shimmering magic swirling around them. All three were female—it was hard to mistake. Cid didn't know you could pack that many curves into so small of figures. They all took after Yuffie in the wardrobe department, in the fact that they sported almost nothing. The trio were ambling about the room, talking in hushed tones.

And they were going through his stuff!

The blonde pixie sighed, dumping out a drawer. "Yuna, I haven't found any treasure anywhere! That kid better not have been lying!"

Yuna sighed. "Me neither." A grey-haired one just _hmmed_.

"Who the heck are you?" Cid sputtered. The trio looked at him, as if noticing his presence for the first time.

"Hi!"

"Greetings."

"Hello!"

They flew into a triangle-type formation, with the brunette—Yuna?—out in front. Leon walked in, then stopped short. "Sorry to have disturbed you, sirs. We've just looking for treasure."

Leon raised a brow. "You're looking for treasure in Cid's underwear drawer?"

"Can it, kid!" Cid growled. He turned to pixies. "We ain't got any treasure, in case you haven't noticed my lack of gold cufflinks. Now get your scrawny butts outa here before I call in the dogs."

"I like poodles!" the blonde one chirped.

The grey-haired girl looked troubled. "Wait. No treasure?"

They abruptly turned their backs to Leon and Cid and began a heated conversation. Voices blended into one another, all three speaking at once.

"How can they understand each other?" Leon asked in a hushed voice.

Cid shrugged. "Girls can do that."

"Weird."

"_Sexist!_" Both men jumped as Yuffie shouted behind them, her arms crossed over her chest. "Men just don't listen, that's all. Hearing isn't a superpower!"

She caught sight of the fairies and whistled. "Hi there."

"Welcome."

"Heya!"

"Nice to meet you!"

Yuffie bounded over to the group, poking one of the pixies in the stomach. "What's your name? You look like you're part of a fairy motorcyle gang. What do they call your gang, 'Tinkerbell's Revenge?'"

"I'm Paine," she growled. "And no, I'm not part of a gang."

The blonde looked distressed. "But I thought you said you weren't leaving!"

Paine rolled her eyes. "We're a different kind of gang, Rikku. We don't steal stuff."

"Coulda fooled me," Cid said gruffly.

Yuffie grinned. "Nothing wrong with theft, unless you're stealing from me. So, whaddya want?"

Yuna flew over, her eyes still looking for something sparkly and valuable. "Well, we fought the Heartless in the big battle, and this guy Sora said you had some treasure to pay us with."

Yuffie, Leon, and Cid exchanged looks. "Um…" Leon said slowly, "we don't have anything."

"Nothing at all," Yuffie chirped. "Unless you want Cid's underwear! You can take those. They stink."

Rikku huffed. "That liar! It's coming outta his pocket!"

Leon sighed. "Listen, about Sora…" He trailed off, realizing that it would be a long story. "Cid, can you make some tea?"

"Sure," he deadpanned. "Let me get out my pixie teacups."

"Thanks," Paine said. "You have any pixie chairs we could borrow?"

Cid sighed. He hoped that these three wouldn't become permanent fixtures, but a sinking feeling in his stomach told him that he was in for a long day.

* * *

I didn't revise this as much as the others, so I hope it turned out well. I also had to do a bit of research, since I haven't ever played/looked into FFX-2. Hope it turned out well.

I have some new reviewers, which makes me totally estatic! Welcome aboard.

Chapter 16 is now a story guide to help people sift through the one-shots; chapter 1 has been altered to direct readers to this index. Sorry, I didn't put two oneshots up at once!

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Deliver us.


	16. Chapter Guide 1 to 15

**_Chapter Guide 1-15_**

Since Espy has gotten rather big, I've put up a chapter guide for drabbles 1-15. Each has the title, main characters/focuses, and a one-sentence summary. Enjoy!

* * *

**01. adduce (all)**

Leon never understood Yuffie's constant need for motion.

**02. resemblence (cloud, cid)**

"Since when did you have kids, Cloud?"

**03. amatory (cloud, Aerith)**

If Cloud was bad at social conversation, amatory would surely be worse.

**04. **_**Éminence grises (all)**_

They all had different roles. Like Cid was a father figure to them all (albeit a chain-smoking, cursing one…)

**05. intergrade (yuffie, leon)**

But right now, he's just Squall, with ice-blue stormy eyes and a scar and so much pent-up fire that it takes Yuffie's breath away sometimes.

**06. escutcheon (all)**

"Don't angst on my ship, Leonheart."

**07. backtalk (cloud, yuffie, tifa)**

"Hey, Cloudy," Yuffie said mischivously, "who do you find sexier: me, Tifa, or Aerith?"

**08. time** **(leon)**

"Riona," he said, testing the name on his tongue. It was agonizing and satisfying at the same time-- like taking a giant gulp of scalding hot coffee.

**09. balustrade (leon, yuffie)**

The railing was old, rickety, and would probably stick him full of splinters before he got ten feet.

10.** medieval (leon, yuffie)**

Yuffie looked up, her mouth twisted into a little smirk, and then she threw a shuriken right into Leon's face.

11. **verisimilitude (cloud, yuffie)**

"No prob, Spiky. I always liked my men covered in chocolate, anyways!"

12. **lavender (aerith, sephiroth, cloud)**

She raced through the streets, weapon at the ready, but the sweet smell of lavender still hung in her mind.

13. **surf n' turf & wasabi (sora, aerith) (sora, yuffie)**

Aerith learns how to make a new dish, and Sora learns firsthand the hazards of Wutain cuisine.

**14. roman candle (axel, cloud)**

You think you've played with fire? You've only lit sparklers, my friend.

15. **treasure?** **(YRP, cid, leon, yuffie)**

You look like you're part of a fairy motorcyle gang. What do they call your gang, "Tinkerbell's Revenge?"

* * *

Now go review, thanks!

-Akiko


	17. Deliverence

**17. deliverence (all)**

Walking through a door could be terrifying. He could smell blood, coppery and metallic and wrong. It permeated his clothing, and he could wash his leather jacket a million times and it would still reek of ghastly permanence. Quiet sounds, tiny and low, emanated from the infirmary, mewls for the Grim Reaper, cries for him to hasten and deliver their souls.

Leon walked through the door. Bodies were on bleached-white cots, in various states of consciousness. Five corpses were lined up against the wall, the fatality count of the last attack. The Nobodies had struck the lower quarter of the borough, slicing through the townspeople's defenses like knife through hot butter. Some had not been fortunate enough to have their hearts stolen and instead had bled to death on the streets.

He passed alongside the cots, his mind mentally tallying statistics like the good little mercenary he was while his heart ached and writhed in his chest. The scrapes of his boots stopped abruptly as he spotted Aerith, slumped against a bed. Leon quickly went to her side and touched her shoulder. "Aerith."

Green eyes flickered open, rimmed with salt. "Leon," she croaked, pushing herself away from the wounded man's cot. "Could you get me a glass of water?" She absently brushed at her arms, which were crusted with blood that wasn't hers.

"You need to go home."

"I'm needed here."

Leon took her by the shoulders. "A powerless mage can't help these people," he said quietly. Aerith turned her face away from him, still trapped in his grip. A lone tear dripped down her face.

A low curse broke the moment. Cid was sweeping the room, with Yuffie and Cloud flanking him on either side. Yuffie was quiet for once, and Cloud approached the two.

"Get her home," Leon sighed, pushing the exhausted Aerith towards him. Cloud hoisted her onto his back, her cheek resting against his shoulder with his sweater blotting her tears.

Leon went back to work, absently consoling mothers and redressing wounds. Time dragged on, the sun slipped behind the cliffs. Finally, a wave of volunteers swarmed the building, hastily shooing the group out.

Cid pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, taking a long drag and exhaling slowly. Leon stood several feet away from him, staring at nothing.

"Why didn't he come?" a voice asked quietly. Leon didn't turn to acknowledge Yuffie.

"Just because he's the Keyblade Master doesn't mean he can be everywhere at once."

"I know that, but…" Yuffie's voice broke. "He's supposed to save is, isn't he?"

Cid ground out his cigarette, pounding the ashes into the soil. "Some snot-nosed kid ain't gonna save us. We've gotta do it ourselves. That's the way it is, and that's the way it's always gonna be. Get used to it."

Yuffie wiped a hand across her face, taking a deep, shivery breath. Leon pushed himself off the wall, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Deliverance was a long way off.

* * *

Wow, angst. That came out of nowhere. I was listening to Deliver Us from the movie _The Prince of Egypt_ and this just kind of happened. Give me your thoughts-- this was one of the sadder pieces here.

Requests are being worked on.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Burnished gold winked at her, and Yuffie thought that it was ironic, considering its owner would never wink.


	18. Vincent

Originally, Nomura wanted to have Vincent Valentine appear in Kingdom Hearts, but had to cut him out because of time constraints. Vincent is instead suggested through Cloud's red cape and gauntlet in KH1. This plays a part in this chapter.**

* * *

18. vincent (yuffie)** for _Takashi Riyu_ and _Dark Queen Helba_

Yuffie tramped up the stairs, mumbling to herself. Of course, the youngest had to do all the work. She huffed. "Go get the coats from the attic, Yuffie!" she mimicked, imitating Aerith's voice in an extremely squeaky falsetto. "We don't want to catch cold! _Psh_." She heaved up the trapdoor, choking on the thin layer of dust that had accumulated. "'Course we don't care if Yuffie chokes and dies, as long as our toes are nice and toasty." She kicked at a box. "Lazy bums."

No one had managed to amass many possessions during their stay in Hollow Bastion—being head honchos of town restoration junk paid less than taking tickets at the Gold Saucer. Each person had one box in storage. It was easy to tell whose was whose.

Aerith's box was of course, neatly wrapped. A thin strip of clear packing tape ran over the top, which Yuffie promptly sliced open with a shuriken. The smell of dried flowers permeated the air, mixing with the dust to invoke a kind of nostalgia that Yuffie didn't usually notice. She pulled a thick coat out of the box—a patchwork of soft fur insulated with the down of baby chocobos. Then came Leon—a long-sleeved, ridiculously heavy leather coat that had cost more than one cow its life. Cid's coat was probably older than he was and threadbare (Aerith would have to make some repairs to that little number.) Her own coat was in the bottom of her crate, mostly because she hated feeling weighed down.

Yuffie pushed aside her own box and searched for Cloud's. After a few moments she spotted it, ripping off the duct tape. Pulling it open, Yuffie coughed as dust ticked her throat. Burnished gold winked at her, and Yuffie thought that it was ironic, considering its owner would never wink.

Yuffie drew out the gauntlet slowly. She ran the delicate pads of her fingertips over the metal, feeling tiny grooves made from a million scratches, worn smooth by constant polishing. It still felt the same as it had back then.

The gold threw the room in a soft, warm light, mixing with the flowery dustiness of the old attic. Yuffie thought he'd like it her, even though it wasn't all covered in cold and ice and crap like his usual hangouts. Really, somewhere inside, he just wanted peace.

Yuffie preferred to forget some things, but never, never him. Never ever. She pressed the gauntlet against her nose, moist breath fogging up the wristguard as she closed her eyes slowly. Forgetting any part of Vincent Valentine would simply be a crime.

He wore these ridiculous shoes that were almost as sharp as her shuriken, the same honey-gold as the gauntlet. Then were the typical loose-fitting black pants, black shirt. Black glove. Like he was afraid to touch people, to feel their warmness against his skin that was perpetually covered in frost. But the tiny bit of skin that you could see was a delicate white porcelain, with no color to disguise the blackness that pooled around his cheekbones and under his eyes. Hanging on his shoulders was a rich red cape. The ends were torn to shreds and blackened by dirt and grime and the general wear and tear of life. It was some kind of heavy material, thick and a little musty but it held his smell better than anything.

The cape extended upwards, veiling his face in a sea of leather buckles and a fraying hem. Deep, crimson eyes glinted from beneath unkempt hair, like droplets of blood that had gathered there, dripping from a forehead encircled by a crown of thorns. His nose arched regally, leading to slightly thin lips that Yuffie would watch like a hawk to see if she could catch then curving upwards. A band of red fabric wound its way around his forehead, matting back his unruly hair and casting his eyes into a dusky shadow that sent Yuffie's heart skipping. Along his back fell the rest of his raven hair, winding themselves into tangles and snarls and a sick personification of his darker side.

Suddenly desperate, Yuffie threw aside the gauntlet, abruptly disgusted by how foreign and impersonal it was, holding no trace of Vincent but the ones in her own memory. She frantically fumbled through the box, her fingers sinking into something thick and red. Pulling out the cloak, she buried her face into the soft folds and breathed in deeply through her nose. Yes, he was there, just like she remembered, oh Jenova. There was that something, a little hazy and musky, accented by a hint of sharp cologne.

Fractions of memories cycled through her mind, various places and times but all Vincent. His low baritone, like the soothing thrum of a cello. The ripple of a cape as he shrugged his broad shoulders. His black silhouette on the cobblestones. It was all burnt into her mind.

Yuffie kept her face buried in the cape, preferring to shut out the world for a moment. Somewhere, sometime, she had changed. The Yuffie that was with Vincent was not her, in the same way that you looked back on your childhood memories of three or four, knowing that you're that child but not actually feeling like it.

And she had been in love with Vincent Valentine.

Not just a little crush, either, thinking he was physically attractive (although that was most definitely part of it.) No, it was the complete infatuation with everything about him, from his midnight hair to the points of his boots. She had appointed him, in her mind, to almost a divine status, revering everything he was and of course gravitating towards this. Of course, she never told him. The possibility of this fragile link between god and admirer being obliterated by unrequited love was unfathomable. So Yuffie stayed silent.

Then, separation. She had not seen Vincent in years. Yuffie had changed, evolving from a gawky teenager looking for a fan club to a young woman with a purpose.

This was around the point where Squall Leonheart came in.

The first time she'd talked to Squall, she'd wanted to punch him in the face and then kiss away the blood. He was so much like him that it was maddening. But in time, she had come to work out the difference between these two homologous men.

Merlin had spouted off the word one day and spent half an hour informing Yuffie what it meant—"corresponding in structure and in origin, but not necessarily in function." She had immediately applied this word to Leon and Vincent. They were both abnormally quiet, with tough pasts and some demons to battle (literally and figuratively.)

But they were not the same, nowhere near. Vincent had the quietness of someone who had accepted that life was over and was simply waiting to die. He wasn't suppressing his reactions—he just didn't have them. Vincent had already jumped over the metaphorical edge, and now needed someone to pull him back into the land of the living.

Squall reflected his name. His quietness was more of a volatile one, as if the tiniest feather-ruffling would just send him over the edge, gibbering and frothing at the mouth. He kept his emotions inside, but was still whole enough to have them. Squall was teetering on the edge of that cliff. Torn between jumping and retreating to safety.

Both men fascinated Yuffie because they needed help. They needed someone to take their hand. So Squall quite naturally slid into Yuffie's life, giving her a psuedo-Vincent to unleash all of her good intentions on. This had worked fairly well thus far.

The question Yuffie was left with was where Vincent fit into her newfound life.

He fit, most definitely. A small part of her, that little child part, was still in love with him. He had not changed in her mind and still had that divine aura about him. But Vincent did not fit in the same place he had before.

Her heart had been reshuffled, and so had her mind. Yuffie lifted her face from the cloak, pensive for once.

Where to put this piece of her life…

Where to save Vincent?

Hm.

A spark lit Yuffie's eye, and she looked over the cloak with a critical eye. Most definitely too tall. But a few safety pins at the top, and it would work.

The next month found Yuffie prancing about in the snow, killing Heartless with Squall. A heavy crimson cape hung from her shoulders. The ends were torn to shreds and blackened by dirt and grime and the general wear and tear of life, especially since she was stepping on it with her boots. Absently she wound her finger around one edge, wrapping it around her body.

Leon kept her safe from the Heartless, while Vincent kept her safe from the cold.

* * *

Honestly, I'm usually a strict "soul mate" shipper-- I am ridiculously loyal to a pairing, and the thought of say, Cloud being with anyone other that Aerith is completely out of the question. But Yuffie is my one exception-- I enjoy both Squiffie and Yuffentine. This chapter is somewhat myself trying to sort out what man is best for Yuffie, just speaking through her. I can imagine being torn.

Describing Vincent was my favorite part in this piece. I think the sort of abstract-type writing suits Valetine well. What are your thoughts-- liked it, hated it? Let me know.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Cloud's hair looked like a chocobo butt. But this guy... this looked like the chocobo had ran into a mako reactor first.


	19. Mildew

**19. mildew (yuffie)** for _FrostFire15-Boldheart'sLoyalty. Also dedicated to sunflowerb._

_"In all reality, he was just like Aerith's barley tea; looked great, but turned out to taste pretty bad."_

Really, Yuffie didn't know why she had done it. Kissed him. Heck, she didn't even know his name.

She was walking along on patrol just like normal, la-di-dah, and then she saw him. It was lanky man (well, more like that awkward stage between man and boy.) Now, Cloud's hair looked like a chocobo butt. But this guy... this looked like the chocobo had ran into a mako reactor first. It was shaved at the sides, then stuck straight from the top of his head four or five inches. The back hung down not quite to his shoulders.

It was the weirdest thing she'd ever seen. So, naturally, Yuffie had to go take a look.

The man-boy turned around. A good-natured smile was on his face, with brilliant turquoise eyes covered by a few strands of blonde hair where the gel had apparently given up. He said hi. Then he went back to playing… something.

She bounced over to him, looked right into his face, and grinned. Your guitar had hillbilly parents, she says.

What?

See, because it's so deformed. I think your guitar's parents inbred.

He looks at her, quirking a brow. It's a sitar, he says. This is how they all look.

Well then, she replies, they're all stupid.

You're stupid.

Yuffie is a little shocked. His beautiful eyes are twinkling (but with amusement or anger, she couldn't say. It was like his emotions were all confused inside of him…?) This man-boy was the first person to insult her for something she'd deserved in… well, ages. Cid just insulted everything, Cloud was too out of it to talk, Aerith never insulted, and Leon was just Leon and therefore dumb. But this guy…

So, Yuffie did something equally crazy. She kissed him right on the mouth.

In all reality, he was just like Aerith's barley tea; looked great, but turned out to taste pretty bad. He tasted like hairspray and lukewarm water and the sniffles.

She told him as much.

Oh, he said, still ruffled by the kiss. That's nice. Then, almost to himself, Xemnas never said anything about this.

Who's Xemnas?

Oh. No one.

He finds that particularly funny. Yuffie doesn't see why. You're a weird one, she says.

He grins, and this time she knows for sure it's amusement that's making his eyes sparkle. I'll write you a song sometime, he says.

And he does.

* * *

This is probably the crack-iest thing I've ever written. It came out of nowhere. Actually, that's a slight lie-- I find sunflowerb's collection "Crack'd" absolutely hilarious. Go read it, really. This piece is dedicated for her, for being generally awesome on all counts. Everyone should read her fics, I'm not even kidding. This girl has got TALENT.

I'm planning to write more crack-Espys... if you have truly insane pairings (and only one person has to be from Hollow Bastion!) just give me your ideas. Leon x Aerith is not crack... Aerith x Hades is crack. Ha ha ha. Oh, yes, that was Demyx if you didn't realize it.

Anyways. I'm on vacation this week... our fam's heading up to Colorado. I'm planning on trying to write and hopefully update as normal.

On a somewhat side addition... an idea is running around my head about a Larxene fic-- multichaptered, plot and everything. Basically, her story. How she got to be how she is. Was. Whatever. No delving into how she became a Nobody; that's been done. But how she changed to be the cold-hearted sadist she was, and if she really is that at all. Thoughts? Would anyone be interested?

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Mystery fic! (Which is code for: it's not written yet, heh)


	20. Pleach

**19. pleach (all)** for _FrostFire15-Boldheart'sLoyalty_

_pleach-- to interweave branches, vines, etc. as for a hedge or arbor. To make or renew by such interweaving._

**_ATTENTION! _**This is a very visual piece-- the words themselves are arranged in the (very) rough shape of a tree. The style itself is very piece-y and trying to be in accordance with the part of the tree it represents. So I'm actually doing the pleaching... kind of. Yeah. In any case, have an open mind and I hope you enjoy this special 20th Espy!

_

* * *

_

**-** - - cid had pl_añt_êd them, f**i**rst in t**raverse tow**n then hollow_ bas_tion.

t**h**ey were kind of like a **b**ig T_R_**ee**.

* * *

**Ÿ _ **û** _ f _ **f _ î **_ ë __ !_**

**_(she_**_ was the_**_) - ^ TOP! ^  
_**

leafy branches, stretching out

W I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ D E !

green leaves, soaking up the sun, spreading wide and growing and growing and happy! she kept them all alive, sorta kinda, she was their * SUNSHINE. *

wide and nice and spreading wide, cause yuffie had her sticky little fingers in everything. she was an unstoppable force, and she kept on going and going. she soaked up all the goodness and life that the people way down there just couldn't get to. and she processed it all and handed it down, making life able to live and more importantly, worth living.

_but_. sometimes, there wasn't any sun. and little pieces of yuffie would get _ * _;" _- _ **s** ç à t T ê r É **d** _ -_ ]_; _ around on the ground everywhere. and it was

**- HE**ÅRT BRE**AK**IÑG -

but then, she would grow back again!

and things would get just as wide and leafy and big as before and she would just _REGROW_ with help from those with her. and it was nice to have the **support system** under her so that she could grow big and strong again.

-

**L E O N .**

**Q**uite simply, he héld everything up. all that important stuff.

the lé**Äv**és could function because leon was there.

SURE, he got _tired_. see him dröö**p? **and see that gnarled branch right _therë_?

mostly because everyone **depends** on leon. they'll just make their home right in his ( ARMS )

and what is he supposed to saÿ,

_no?_

no.

he **has** to keep them. that's his job.

so he's a roost for the homeless. he **_takes on_** that burden.

**'cause he can handle it.**

and maybe as his network gets bigger, he can get stronger too.

-

_ã é r ï t h ._

she was **STRONG**.

she was **STEADY**.

and she held them all üp.

you _(_ could _)_ give her a **BIG _HUG_**

- bêçãüsë -

aerith was just the right

-_**S**i**Z**e

for hugging.

she _grëW_ with them,

logging her **progress**

layers that stacked

**one**

on

**top**

of

**the**

other.

until _suddenly_,

she was so **big** and _**strong**_

people came from

)**_** all around! **_**(

just to SEE

this pillar of strength.

-

**_Ç_** L Ö **Ü D** .

cloud was not constant.

he was

s _ **p** _ r _ e _ a _ d _ _ _ **o** _ u _ t .

his was a

_far-_

_reaching_

system of roots. simply _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ put out

É _ _ _ _ v e_r_ _ _ ÿ _ _ _ _ _ w**h**êr _ _ _ _ _ _ _e _ _ _ _ _ _** _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ !**

**a little bit**

**R _ A _ñ**

d_õ_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ m.

_but he was attached to the tree, _**whether he liked it or not.**

and he did _kind of like it_.

**cloud was the mèssenger boy, tr**Å**vel**î**ng to bring t**h**ings bac**k** to his fa**mil**y, **even if it meant

he had to

_leave_.

because, **well**,

he would always come back.

* * *

like we said.

**we**'re kin**d** of l**ï**ke a **b**ig T_R_**ee**.

* * *

Take a moment to process it, please. It is meant to be processed.

Done? Sweet. Now tell me what you think! This is definitely the most out-there thing I've done here, so I'd very much value your opinion whether you liked it or hated it. If you've been reading but never reviewing, now is most definitely a good one to leave your thoughts on. My long absence was due to having no Internet on vacation. Ick.

Espy functions on requests and reviews, and I am happy for every single person who has! So, here's a hearty **THANK YOU**! for all my reviewers:

_XxXChiharu-Chan-1000-SpringsXx. Moonpie116. xx-Addict-For-Dramatics-xx. -x-.'Somebody's Nobody'.-x-. Darkened-Skys. Organization13pwns. Water and Earth Alchemist. MikariStar. FindingWonderland. FrostFire15-Boldheart'sLoyalty. Princess of the Knight. Loserfish. Aetriel. L'OpalNoir. Amu123. Chilltown. Footloose Phoenix. sailor winx. :D. BobE. Hugh. SecretAgent99. CaeliaKitsune. Dark Queen Helba. Takashi Riyu. Blackbird. thexlightxwithinxthexdarkness. Perhelediel. hola :). pretzel-logic. crimson-obsidian-rose._

I love you all and I've replied to everyone (well, everyone who left signed reviews!) Again, thank you so much. You're what make me keep writing. I look forward to writing all your Espy requests!

-Akiko


	21. Rose

**21. rose (yuffie, all)**

Yuffie was neutral about Valentine's Day. I mean, she was a ninja. She had better things to do, right? Yet here was February 14th, and Yuffie was stomping down the hallway like she wanted to punch a hole in the floorboards with her bare feet.

Before she had come to Hollow Bastion and Traverse Town, back in her old world, she had been a princess. Literally. "The Single White Rose of Wutai," they called her. And while Yuffie would just as happily chuck a tiara in the mud or melt it down to make some new weapons, there was one part that she liked.

Every year, she got a white rose. Usually on Valentine's Day, and usually from her father Godo (even though she hated his guts, you didn't look a gift horse in the mouth right?) This tradition had been kept up the last few years, with a rose randomly showing up somewhere she frequented on Valentine's Day.

Not this year.

She had waited until after lunch, and then had furiously searched all of her usual stomping grounds. Not even a thorn.

It was then that Yuffie got desperate.

* * *

"Whaddya want, brat?"

"Nothin." Yuffie wandered around a gummi ship, finding Cid's feet poking out one side. "So, what're you up to?"

Cid rolled himself from under the ship, a suspicious look in his eyes. "I'm fixin' Sora's ship. What does it look like?"

"Cool it, old man! I was just tryin to make some conversation--"

"Whenever you just make conversation, some of my munny just disappears right outta my wallet!"

He had her there.

* * *

"Yuffie, I have to file all of this and still get over to the Caverns before six tonight. I am not in the mood."

She leveled her most serious Yuffie-glare at him. "Jeez, Squall! I just asked you if you mighta seen something that you don't normally see around here. That's all."

He heaved a sigh. "What kind of thing?"

"Well, er, you know. Just something out of the ordinary, right? I figured with you being everywhere you'd probably know, so I just came right to Squally and--"

He shoved her out with an eloquent goodbye. "It's Leon."

* * *

Cloud was beating the pulp out of a random rock when Yuffie found him. "Heya, Spike!"

He eyed her warily, noting the slightly unbalanced look in her eyes. "Um, hi, Yuffie."

She plopped down next to him. "So, I was thinking. You and Aerith are close, right?"

"What?"

"And you would probably know if she went and bought a bunch of flowers, right?"

"Yuf--"

"So did she?"

Cloud blinked. "Yuffie… I don't follow Aerith everywhere, you know."

She threw up her hands. "_Men!_"

* * *

To top it all off, Aerith was gone. Yuffie found a note tacked to the fridge. _Had to help with a birth,_ it read. _Madge is having labor pains. I fixed some sandwiches for everyone, they're in the refri—_

Yuffie tore the note in half, scowling deeply. It was nearly nighttime, and the White Rose of Wutai was still rose-less. She stomped down the hallway, yanking open the door to her room. _Lousy little jerks. Just like them to forget, take care of the whole freakin town first—_

Her foot came down on something slippery, and Yuffie's feet shot out from under her. Trip? The Great Ninja Yuffie never tripped! Something strange was going on here.

She opened her eyes, and found herself staring into her room. More accurately, her room that was absolutely drenched with pure white roses.

Maybe she would forgive them after all.

* * *

Yuffie's nickname _is_ the White Rose of Wutai. So I had to do something for her on Valentine's Day. For all of you people out there who hate all the fluff stuff on the fourteenth of Febuary, here's something fluffless from me. Now excuse me while I search for new Sokai, Cleris, Larxel, and Squiffie fluff for Valentine's!

And to everyone, thank you for all you reviews for _Pleach!_ They were very much appreciated. This oneshot should push Espy over 100 reviews, yeah! Best way to show love is reviewing. It's been scientifically proven.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** A goat talks about dancing, and Cloud actually listens.


	22. Terpsichorean

**15. terpsichorean (cloud, yuffie)** for _Loserfish_

Cloud had a few people he held in high esteem—at least in terms of fighting skill. Leon was one. Zack was another. Sora was making his way up the list. In a perverted way, even Sephiroth could be included. Normally Cloud preferred to practice on his own, and didn't exactly enjoy being told how to swing a sword by someone who likely couldn't even lift the Buster Blade themselves.

So when a satyr began mouthing off to him about training, Cloud was irate.

He kept his mouth shut, though, and let this Phil guy talk. Cloud's conscience had been bothering him a bit ever since the whole Hades-contract thing, and he figured that listening to Hercules' trainer might help make amends. Inwardly he sighed as the goat-thing spewed another platitude.

"There y'are, see?" he said, pointing. "See that girl right there? _She's_ someone to learn something from." A familiar twirling figure was in the Coliseum, pounding shuriken into barrels.

"Yuffie?" Cloud blurted. Surely he had heard wrong.

"Yup," Phil said. He watched her for a few minutes as Cloud tried to process what exactly he could learn from a teenager who could use a daily dose of Ritalin. Phil looked up and noted the blonde's confused expression, then sighed. "See how smoothly she moves?" he asked. "No big, choppy strokes. Leaves you wide open to attack and wastes your energy, especially if you miss. She's conserving her energy and keeping her momentum. Plus, she's not stopping so she's less open to attack."

Cloud continued to watch Yuffie and had to admit that Phil was right. His own style was admittedly more… powerful. He considered an attack satisfactory when the ground shuddered. But Yuffie's feet barely seemed to touch the ground. He watched her for the next hour, silently gathering up bits and pieces of information.

Finally she stretched, peeling off her sweat-soaked headband. Cloud watched her approach, a twinkle in her eye. "Having a nice bonding moment with the goat-midget?" she asked cheerfully, re-lacing her boot.

"Right."

They made their way back to the gummi. Yuffie chattered on. When she took a breath for air, Cloud quickly cut in. "Yuf, can I ask you something?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "Leon and I have a perfectly platonic relationship, thank you very much."

"…That wasn't my question."

"Oh. Well then, spit it out!"

Cloud scratched the back of his neck. "Do you… well… do you think you could teach me to be smoother?"

"I don't know, Cloud. You're a pretty hopeless case as a charmer, and no offense but I think Aerith and Tifa kind of like the awkward side of you--"

"Not like that!" Cloud flushed red. "In battle. Phil says… my movements are too choppy."

She laughed delightedly. "The great Cloud Strife, taking advice from Phil?" She waved his annoyed expression away. "I'm joking you, Spike. Of course. You wanna learn to dance, I'll be happy to teach you. But you can't question my methods, got it?"

Cloud swallowed a sudden feeling of apprehension. "Yeah. Got it."

She opened the hatch on the gummi ship. "Terpsichorean, chocobo-butt. Dance-like. Learn it. Live it."

One week later, Cloud renounced this promise when Yuffie came back with a pink gown and a pair of heels. Once in Wallmarket was enough, thank you.

* * *

Cloud's cross-dressing never ceases to amuse me.

He doesn't really seem like he'd take advice from many, that Cloud. I can imagine that his ego would be pretty bruised when he got clocked by Cerberus and had to be carried out like a damsel in distress. Poor guy. I just wanna hug him.

Sorry for lack of review replies and longer update time. My life was INSANE.

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Let's wander about like idiots for awhile, shall we?


	23. They

**23.** **they (all) **(destinations)

How did they get here?

They being them, of course. They had started as individuals and then kind of merged together until they were one cohesive unit, one big group of THEY. It was a big word, you know, a responsible one. There was no 'you' in THEY. What if you let THEM down? You were screwed, that's what. Absolutely, 100% screwed. (Well, that's what one of them thought. But he hadn't exactly grasped the concept of forgiveness yet so the rest of them were trying to teach him)

Back to the original question. Of how they got where they were.

It was not easy. It was actually completely unintentional. They had stumbled around, blind as newborn puppies except not half as cute. They were cut up and bleeding literally and figuratively. And eventually three of them ran into each other. She said, "Let's wander about like idiots for awhile, shall we?" He didn't laugh, even though he thought it was funny.

And so they fought and wandered and took steps to becoming a THEY. They found one, and he was drawn into their orbit quite naturally. He was unused to being part of a group, and for awhile it was them and HIM. But eventually they were just one big THEY.

**T**he ninja and

emo-**H**air with scar and

h**E**aler who couldn't fix herself

chocobo-**Y**ellow spike

loved each other. And THEY were literally a part of each other.

That was all they needed to know.

* * *

This turned out way differently than I thought. Hmmm. Ah well, it's been too long since I updated and beggars can't be choosers right?

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Fortune cookies. Yuffie, I swear, don't even go there. They're _Disney_, they can't hear that kind of thing!


	24. Disney Swears & Fortune Cookies

**24.** **disney swears & fortune cookies (leon, yuffie) (sora, cid, aerith)**

T-rated for a reason... mostly just implications. It's all in fun and humor.

**

* * *

**

_--fortune cookies_**  
**

Yuffie eyed the cookie in Squall's hand. "Aren't you gonna open it up? That's what you do with fortune cookies, you know."

Leon shrugged. "It's a piece of paper, Yuffie. I seriously doubt that this is going to tell me my future."

"You are no fun. None at all. You're like, negative fun. You suck the fun out of the room. You're a _fun-sucker!_" She paused. "You know the tradition with the cookies, right? What you add at the end?"

Leon looked at her blankly. "What are you talking about?"

She grinned widely. "Nothing, nothing at all! Just open it up."

Leon got a queasy feeling in his stomach. "You first."

"Fine then." Pushing aside the empty box of Mongolian beef, Yuffie tore open the plastic packaging and cracked the cookie. "Let's see here, hmm. S'upside down. Okay, it says 'You will amass great fortune due to your business sense..." She clapped a hand over her mouth and giggled uncontrollably.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing!" Still shaking with giggles, Yuffie pointed at Leon. "Open it already!"

Leon split the cookie in half. "Great things are coming your way."

Yuffie nearly fell off her chair. "Gr-great things, Sq-squally! You've got _great things_ coming your way!"

"Yuffie. What in the heck are you talking about?"

She grinned, leaning across the table in a way that made Leon edge backwards a bit. "You add a phrase to the end of all the fortunes in fortune cookies. You wanna know what it is?"

"..."

"_In bed!"_

_--disney swears_

Cid was unhappy. And when Cid got unhappy, his mouth tended to get dirtier than a wet chocobo in a mud patch. Sora ducked a flying wrench, and Aerith winced. "Cid? I made you some lemonade."

He shot back an unprintable obscenity. Sora shot a look at Aerith, who just shrugged apologetically.

Cid rolled himself out from under a gummi. "What do you think you're doing, kid? You tryin' to play Ping-Pong with asteroids out there? Son of a--"

"Cid!" Aerith cut him off sharply. "That's no way to talk!"

"Just cause Spike-Junior here wants to screw around with world order doesn't mean he has to..." Steam belched from an exhaust pipe in a very unhealthy-looking way and Cid began to rant again.

Aerith hid her face in her hands, and Sora glanced over at Donald and Goofy. "I haven't heard swearing like this since Jack Sparrow!" Sora whispered with a grin. "Riku can't even beat this."

Donald looked at him blankly. "Swearing?"

"Um, yeah." Sora turned to Goofy. "I'm not just hearing things, am I?"

Aerith shook her head mutely, but Goofy shrugged. "I don't hear anythin' bad."

"What are you hearing?"

"Well..." Donald turned to Cid. "He says, 'This ship is a gosh-darned mess! You lend 'em out to one freaking kid and his two big-butt friends and you find it more messed-up than a woman on a street corner. Son of a _nutcracker!_ Kids these days. They're all no-good, stupid-face, cotton-headed ninnymuggens!"

Sora just looked at Donald. "...Are you serious?"

Goofy shrugged. "I heard the same thing."

Aerith looked at them, then cupped a hand around her mouth. "Sora. I think it must be the Disney in them. They... uh, they can't hear swearing. It's a totally foreign idea, like they already have a filter built into their brains."

Sora shrugged, shaking his head. It wasn't the weirdest thing he'd ever come across, but it was close. Meanwhile, Donald shook his head. "Cotton-headed ninnymuggens? That's kind of harsh, don't you think, Goofy?"

Cid just swore some more.

* * *

...

I don't even know where any of that came from. Pure humor for a change. In any case, I tried to write it as if it could be canon... but that last one, I don't know. Disney seems to automatically kid-ify anything it touches. There's my shot at poking fun at Disney.

I was sick, which is why I did not update. I still am pretty much living on cough drops and grape juice. Reviews, please?

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** Not done yet. Sorry.


	25. Chapter Guide 17 to 25

**_To all readers:_**

I love Espy, and plan to continue it. However, due to my life being absolutely crazy, the number of drabbles I have on hand has shrunk to zero. I don't like to write things quickly just to have things put up, and I feel like that's what's been happening for the last couple. So** Espy is taking a quick break** so I can get some quality writing down. Don't panic; **it won't be more than a week or so**. The writing you get will be much better.

That said, **this is the perfect time to submit a request**. By now, you all know the drill. So far my one challenge, to write some friendly stuff with Aerith and Sephiroth, is still in the wings. Please limit your challenges to two. Thanks, and bring it on!

_****_

* * *

**Chapter Guide 17-25**

* * *

**17. deliverence (all)**

Deliver us.

**18. vincent (yuffie)**

Burnished gold winked at her, and Yuffie thought that it was ironic, considering its owner would never wink.

**19. mildew (yuffie)**

Cloud's hair looked like a chocobo butt. But this guy... this looked like the chocobo had ran into a mako reactor first.

**20. pleach (all)**

They were all kind of like a big tree.

**21. rose (yuffie, all)**

Yuffie waited until after lunch, and then had furiously searched all of her usual stomping grounds. Not even a thorn.

**22. terpsichorean (cloud, yuffie)**

A goat talks about dancing, and Cloud actually listens.

**23.** **they (all)**

Let's wander about like idiots for awhile, shall we?

**24. disney swears & fortune cookies (leon, yuffie) (sora, cid, aerith)**

Fortune cookies. Yuffie, I swear, don't even go there. They're _Disney_, they can't hear that kind of thing!

* * *

Enjoy!

-Akiko


	26. Dream

Hey there guys! Don't panic, there is a story for you to read! It's just not here.

I'm back from my hiatus-- thanks for waiting. I do believe my quality of writing has been upped-- so much so that I liked the drabble wrote for Espy so much that I put it as a separate oneshot. It's titled _Dream_ and I highly reccomend it, so if you'd like go over and take a look! It focuses on Cloud and his memories, especially after the Olympus Coliseum. Here's a small teaser:

* * *

"...Sometimes there were little glimpses for Cloud. He'd be walking along or fighting or doing some other normal activity and for a split-second _something_ would flash in front of his eyes. Sometimes a shape but mostly a color. It was usually green, green like freshly cut grass, bright clear green. Sometimes he got flashes of light rosy pinks, too.

It got worse when he was tired. Sometimes after a battle it would happen every few steps. Currently Cloud could barely see past a haze of formless, misty pinks and greens. Laughter seemed to float on the breeze, light as chocobo down, so quiet that Cloud was fairly sure he was imagining things.

The laughter mixed with his surroundings. Hot sand worked its way into his boots and his clothing, scratching at his skin like an abrasive. Cloud could smell olive oil and wine, freshly cut wood and the searing hot smell of the forger's hammer smashing down on a gladiator's blade..."

* * *

Now go read the whole thing!

Also, a quick update for _Water and Earth Alchemist_-- I liked your prompt so much I am expanding it into a short story arc! Not only will it investigate the interaction of Leon and Riku, but of a few others too. It will take a bit longer to write, but I'm very excited about it.

Thanks, everyone! Enjoy.


	27. Moonlighting

**27. moonlighting**

Yuffie rolled over, pulling rough sheets closer to her body. Pain lanced through her side. Her hand flew to the wound instinctively. Bandages were still dry, so no seeping. That was good. Then again, what exactly had she been expecting, Aerith to stitch her up halfway? All her stuffing would fall out.

Yuffie stopped mid-giggle. She had to sleep; she had the long shift on Heartless patrol tomorrow. But this was difficult when a gaping side wound kept her torso on fire. Turning over gingerly, Yuffie groped for Squall's watch. She squinted, eyes gradually adjusting to make out the numbers. _3:45_.

Yuffie dropped the watch back on the nightstand, squeaking in frustration. Leon shifted in the bed next to hers, his form outlined in moonlight coursing through the open window. Messy brown hair was splayed out on the pillow, falling in front of his eyes. He slept on his stomach, which Yuffie thought awkward. She always felt like she was suffocating on her stomach.

Perhaps it was because of her intense stare, or maybe it was just a fluke. Squall's eyes fluttered and he rolled over with a grunt. Yuffie tried to turn away quickly but her side seized up and sent hot waves of pain across her body. "_Jenova-_-"

Leon turned to her blearily. "Why are you still up?" he whispered huskily.

Yuffie averted her eyes. "Just couldn't fall asleep."

There was silence. She occupied herself with unraveling the edge of her sheet, silvery moonlight glinting off her fingernails. A barely audible sigh rippled through the stillness. "Your side?"

Yuffie propped herself up on her elbow. "Squall, it wasn't your--"

"_Leon_." He brushed his hair back from his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His white t-shirt was faintly luminescent. "And it was my fault."

She looked at him for… awhile. Her arm began to go numb. Finally she drew her legs out from beneath the covers and sat cross-legged on the bed. "You're stupid and you know it."

He grunted. Yuffie wished she could see his face, but heavy shadows obscured his face. Griever glinted. "Aren't you going to try and get some sleep?" he murmured.

"I can't sleep knowing that you can't sleep."

He shifted onto his side to face her, and Yuffie saw his mouth twist into a little half-smile. "Yeah, right. Tell that to me next time your snores keep me up until morning."

"Ninjas don't snore!"

"Well, you do."

Yuffie crossed her ankles together and wrapped her arms around her knees. "You're stupid and you know it," she repeated.

He didn't say anything to that. Yuffie examined her legs. They were just pale enough to glow slightly when in the moonlight. Curiously Yuffie extended a leg, waggling her toes near the window. "Hey, Squall. Shadow foot puppet."

"Go to _sleep_, Yuffie."

She grinned and began poking him with her toe. Leon's face twisted and he grabbed her foot in midair. "Stop that."

"Let go of my foot then!"

He raised a brow but relinquished his hold. Yuffie shivered slightly in the crisp air, turning back to the window. One lone streetlight competed with the moon for glory, bathing a small eight-foot circle in a golden glow.

"You're shivering." She turned to look at Leon over her shoulder.

"So?"

Squall looked at her, annoyed. "Well, get under your covers then."

"My sheets suck."

He passed a hand over his face, which was Squall-speak for _you cannot even comprehend how supremely exasperating you are to me at this point in time_. "They're the same sheets as always."

"Well, they've always sucked."

"So you're just going to freeze?"

"You could switch me sheets."

"I'm comfortable."

"Fine then." Yuffie uncrossed her legs, swinging her feet over the side of the bed. The cold floor sent shivers up her spine and suddenly she wished she'd worn more than shorts and a tank to bed. "Move it," she ordered, squirming into Leon's bed.

"Wha—Yuffie!" He recoiled.

"What?" She looked up at him innocently. "Something wrong?"

He didn't look at her. "Your skin's freezing."

Yuffie just wound her hands around his middle and pressed her nose into his t-shirt. Leon was still for a minute or so, then sighed and relaxed. He slung his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He felt her grin into his shirt.

"You are comfy," she whispered. "Comfy like a couch. You're the big comfy couch. I think that's why I was so attracted to you."

Leon rolled his eyes. "That's the first word people use to describe me. Comfy." Yuffie laughed. The word itself sounded so foreign in the air, as if it wanted to go back into his mouth and never come out again.

They never told. Officially, they did not do this… _romance_ thing. It would be too weird. I mean, he was so much older than her. And they already had a decent partnership dynamic going on. Cid would hassle them for ages.

But sometimes, at night, when the moonlight created another world, it was okay. Moon madness, that's what it was. It seeped into their blood. There was never a kiss, only light innocent touches. That was good. Neither of them wanted anything else but to have someone to curl up to at night. Was it really so much to ask?

Yuffie rested her cheek against his chest. Already she was drowsy. Squall closed his eyes, absently running a hand through her hair.

"Squall?" She felt his body shift slightly, indicating that she had his attention. "It wasn't your fault. Really."

His fingers brushed her side as if trying to atone. His eyes were half-focused. "I didn't mean to," he whispered so quietly she could barely hear. "It was an accident."

"I know."

"Do you?" In a rarely serious moment, Yuffie looked him straight in the eye. "Training accidents happen, Squall. They've happened before and they'll happen again. A Heartless isn't going to help me up and give be a Band-Aid and a kiss."

Leon said nothing, preferring to trace small circles on her shoulder with his fingertip. Yuffie was quiet for a moment, then craned her neck up and pecked his nose. "G'night, you moron."

"Goodnight."

And so they stayed that way till morning, quietly dozing in each other's arms. Predictably enough, the moonlight never told a soul.

* * *

Oh yeah, I'm back!

The ridiculously long wait was started because of a long spring production, massive loads of AP homework (I wrote about eleven essays in two weeks!) and then to top it off, my computer was hit with a virus that wiped out all of my files. I have about half of them backed up on Facebook, the Internet, et cetera (including this document, thank goodness!) To all the readers that have started reading since March, hello and thanks! I normally reply to each review and plan to resume this policty now that summer has begun and I have no theatre, AP, and (hopefully) viruses.

There's more to say, but I'm not going to make you guys read paragraphs! There may be a few hiccups, but Espy is back in buisiness. Thanks for staying with me, guys!

-Akiko


	28. Bookworm

**28. bookworm (yuffie, merlin)**

Yuffie sneezed, sending up eddies of dust. "Can't you magic all this crap away? I might as well walk into a smoker's den. The air would be cleaner."

The wizard adjusted his glasses. They perched on his nose, perfectly circular lenses, thick and heavy. Yuffie could only imagine how hard his nose had to work to keep them there. "I magicked that dust here, and that's where it will stay. Until these," he swept a hand over a pile of books, accidentally causing a miniature dust tornado with his heavy sleeve, "are organized." He eyed Yuffie and his mouth twitched with a smile that sent shockwaves down his beard. "Unless, of course, you'd like me to tell Aerith that--"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Yuffie mumbled. "Blackmail it is then. You better hope that I don't get ahold of your mouse king guy, lemme tell you that."

"King Mickey has trusted my judgment for years," Merlin replied airily. "Longer than you've been alive."

"Longer than dinosaurs walked the earth."

Merlin scowled. Amazing: he could smite a dozen Heartless with a Fiagra spell, and yet Yuffie seemed absolutely unimpressed. It was the kids these days, he decided. No respect for their elders. He left mumbling something along these lines, stranding Yuffie in a veritable fortress of books.

Yuffie was many things-- a pickpocket, a deadly kunoichi, a fashion icon, the self-proclaimed Queen of Hollow Bastion-- but she was not a bookworm. She didn't even like to read the labels on canned soup. In fact the letters seemed to cower when she turned her gaze on them, curl in on themselves in fear and shrivel up into little spots of ink trying to lay low until the mass of voluntary illiteracy had passed.

Reading had just never been an integral part of Yuffie's life. She was in school up until Hollow Bstion was destroyed, the time where you get ready for preteen angst but aren't quite ready to put down your dollies yet. She had always been a few grades behind and when the dust settled after a couple of years, Yuffie had long decided to forgo schooling altogether and focus on more useful skills, like putting a shuriken in a target from a hundred yards. And she threw shurikens more than she read.

Yuffie picked up a book, turning it over dubiously. The title was four syllables longer than necessary, with enough gold to leaf the Taj Mahal. '_Decoding Tergiversatory and Oneric Vagaries of Chocobos.' _She raised a brow. How exactly did he want this organized? She sure as heck didn't know what the numbers on the side of the books meant, but it seemed easier than going through the alphabet. She began picking up books, arranging them by number order. Titles began to jump out-- _'Mysteries of Biology: Mapping the Human Genome.' 'Applying the Freudian Model to Interplanetary Diplomacy.' 'The Art of French Cooking.'_ Yuffie rolled her eyes at that last one. Like Merlin ever cooked. The only thing she ever saw him make was tea, and Cid would personally pummel anyone who picked Merlin's tea over his. Interestingly enough, there were several weapons books.

Suddenly something dawned on Yuffie. That old codger was trying to trick her into reading! Of course. Aerith had probably put him up to it. The ninja scowled, throwing the last book into place. _Stupid old wizard._

If this was a story, she'd fall for it mindlessly. She'd probably turn into an avid reader, voraciously devouring page after page. She would get a library card and open up a library and become a bestselling author, testifying of her previous abhorrence of books with a slightly ashamed expression. But this was not a book, and Yuffie was no storybook princess.

Merlin found every book except one in number order. Upon searching, he found that Yuffie was using the pages as a shuriken holder.

Furiously pulling the tiny throwing stars out, he ruminated on how little respect teenagers had for literature these days.

* * *

That didn't go where I expected. Ah well, let the characters guide right?

Okay. So my inspiration is running dangerously thin. I am formally reopening requests and quite frankly, I need them to continue Espy! I have five previous requests logged, but I plan to use most of them for my long story arc I have running, so they may be awhile in coming. Anyway. PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR REQUESTS/CHALLENGES! As my readers know, I do love a challenge. Pick a word, a line, an event, a set of characters that you've always wondered what would happen if they met. And bring it on. Cha.

Akiko


	29. Pinky

**29. pinky (leon, aerith) **for_ L'OpalNoir_

This, Leon reflected, is why he didn't go shopping. Ever.

Yuffie had tried to drag him along on so many occasions. She told him that they were just making a potion run (which ended up being a run to the marketplace for some "battle accessories" like rainbow-colored shoelaces.) Once, they were ducking into a store to escape some Heartless, and Yuffie had petitioned to stay the night "just to be safe." Even though there was an air vent right above them which Yuffie clearly could get to. You're a master thief, aren't you? he'd said, an eyebrow raised. Judging by the speed of your shoplifting. Yuffie didn't think that as funny. They left the store quickly.

"Aerith, could you--"

"Hush, please."

He thought shopping with Cid wouldn't be as bad. Cid was a man, right? Men didn't "shop around." They went in, they got what they needed, and they went out. Unfortunately for Leon, Cid happened to run into Geppetto, and the two had promptly got into a discussion of gummi ships that made Leon's head spin. By the time they finally got home, the soup was cold and Aerith was irritable. An irritable Aerith wasn't something you wanted. At all. In fact, after that night Leon decided he'd rather have ten thousand angry Darkballs chasing after him than an irritable Aerith.

"That pin is poking me."

"Well, we can't all have a twenty-six inch waist, Leon."

Shopping with Cloud was the worst. Because not only did Cloud hate shopping as much as Leon, he was also more paranoid than a jealous wife whose husband hasn't called home yet. This meant that when he wasn't trying to get in and out of a shop he was either: a) creating mass panic by unsheathing his sword ("I thought I saw Sephiroth") or b) ducking behind racks of clothing ("I thought I saw Tifa.") By the time they had finally gotten what they needed, Leon had decided to leave the paranoid blonde to skulking and get the heck out of there.

"Aerith, I really don't want to--"

"Just one more minute."

And then there was the time, not so long ago, that he had gone shopping with Aerith. He could remember it vividly—she saw a dress in the window and wanted it. But, Aerith had reflected, it would need to be altered. Could he please stand right there, very still, and be a mannequin for a moment? It was all so clear…

Probably because he was living that moment right now. Standing with a pink dress over his leather jacket, fur sticking up out of a rather flattering A-line cut. Aerith was poking him with tiny, sharp little pins.

He sighed. "Why? Why is it always me? Why is it never Cloud or Yuffie or Cid?"

Aerith giggled (surprising, he didn't know that demons could titter quite like that.) "Because none of them would go along with it," she said, giving him a peck on the cheek affectionately. "I'm done now."

"Could you please get this off of me?"

Her lips twisted into a pout, but her eyes were mischievous. "But Leon, you look so good in pink!"

* * *

I don't know how this happened, it just did. I think you could call it a "drive-by drabble." Unedited, unplanned, and (hopefully) that much funnier for it. Torturing Leon is just way too fun to pass up. Although now that I think on it, this "get the guy into a dress" thing is a habit with Aerith, with Cloud at the Wallmarket...

I'm on a missions trip from the 6th to the 11th, so unless I get hit with inspiration no updates till after that. I am splitting my time between the lovely Espy, my epic story (yes, I'm writing it!) and a current Sly Cooper kick I'm on. I might break into that fandom, we'll see. Do I have any Sly Cooper fans out there? Anyone?

Many thanks to reviewers and lurkers. Love you all!

-Akiko


	30. Dirt Bike

**30. ****transportation (yuffie, sora) **for _SecretAgent99_

Sora was very excited.

Sora normally wore his emotions on his sleeve, so it wasn't hard to read him. Yuffie was also clued in by the way he crashed through the doorway, gibbering so fast that even she, with her amazing ninja hearing, couldn't understand. It turns out that someone named Hayner (some pretty boy, Yuffie was sure) had lent him his 'dirt bike' for a few weeks while he was on vacation. He had spent all day riding around Hollow Bastion, irking Leon and creating general pandemonium all around.

Yuffie was impressed. It took her most of a morning to get Leon to turn that special shade of red (not quite cherry, but past tomato) that Sora had achieved in record time with his dirt bike. So she had to go take a look.

Yuffie had the lock of the gummi hanger picked in a nanosecond. She pushed the door open, wincing as it creaked loudly. Luckily, it was empty. Save for one item.

She'd only seen picture of dirt bikes in books—the machine before her was more impressive. It gleamed, made up of rubber and chrome and lots of shiny baubles and bits that Yuffie couldn't identify. She stroked the handlebar, giving the bike a once-over. The one thing that Cloud wouldn't shut up about was Fenrir, so she knew how a bike was supposed to work.

"Hmmm. You're cute," she told the bike. "What's a pretty thing like you doing in a garage like this?"

* * *

Merlin pushed up his glasses, irritable. Firstly, the teapot was off-kilter and fixed his tea wrong. Then Cid had proceeded to give him a lecture on how to make tea (the nerve!) And now Leon had practically ordered him to find some "door-fixing spells, and do it fast." Normally, Merlin would give the young man quite a stern talking-to, but the twitch in Leon's eyebrows kept the magician's mouth shut.

He turned a page. "Where's that Arthur when I need him?" Merlin huffed. "Kids these days, they don't have any respect for their el--"

The sound of glass shattering is a difficult thing to express in writing. Some prefer a standard _CRASH_, while others go for a _SKOOSH_ or a _TING_. These normally end up sounding ridiculous, though, so a writer usually tries to avoid directly writing these onomatopoeias whenever possible. Sometimes, though, it's just not possible. The sound of a motorbike crashing through Merlin's window can best be described as a heart-stopping _KA-KISHHHHH!!!_ _tinkle tinkle…_

Lucky for her, the writer was spared having to write an onomatopoeia for Merlin's shouts, because Yuffie ran away and hid for the rest of the day.

Two weeks later, Hayner got his bike back. Sora, blushing lightly, informed that it had to be turned in for repairs due to "this really hyperactive girl I know." But the mechanic had gotten a little carried away. "So," Sora said, "your bike has a turbo booster and a heat seeker missile now."

Sora vowed to stick to riding bikes in the Space Paranoids from now on.

* * *

Hope you liked it, SecretAgent99! I almost used Fenrir, but then decided it would be too easy.

An extra thank-you for those of you who reviewed my Sly Cooper story. You guys rock!

I would like to take a moment to shamelessly reccommend a story I'm beta-ing. It deals with our favorite Hollow Bastion crew and may I say, it is STUNNING. Written by Apakoha, this wonderful fic will make you laugh, cry, and ponder. It's called "**Since the Fall of Man**" and it's on my favorites list. Otherwise, the story URL is as follows:

(fanfiction.) net/s/5193934/1/Since_the_Fall_of_Man

**GO READ IT. RIGHT NOW. **Thanks!

--Akiko


	31. Party Time

**31. pa****rty time (all, w/ Sora and the gang) **for _Remix 16_

_A continuation of #30, Dirt Bike._

_

* * *

_

Leon stepped back, scanning the wall again. He had to be honest—it did look pretty good. Despite Yuffie's "ninja-hammer technique" (which included karate kicking cement blocks,) the barrier looked secure. Finally. After the bailey had been broken down during the Heartless siege, it had taken weeks to patch up the gaping hole that led into the cliffs. After three months of work, it was finally done. But Leon couldn't help but tap a stone with the fist, as if the cement inside would have magically hollowed out.

"Relax, Leon. It's not going to crumble." Aerith came up next to him, absently straightening his collar. "You haven't been five feet from the wall the whole day."

Leon shrugged nonchalantly. "Well," Aerith quipped dryly, "it did make the sack race difficult."

"Yuffie had that under control." Unsurprisingly, Yuffie was good with kids. Mostly because she was practically a child herself. She'd given the kids a run for their money while the adults looked on, laughing good-naturedly and enjoying the party.

It had been one of the first occasions to celebrate for some time. Aerith had made a big fuss out of the day, organizing food vendors, getting together games for children. The sun was sinking below the horizon now and the last of the stragglers had left not long ago. Now it was just the six of them—Cid, Aerith, Yuffie, Leon, Tifa, and Cloud.

Aerith squeezed Leon's shoulder and began cleaning up paper plates and cups, Tifa soon joining her. Cid was on his third pot of tea, lounging in an abandoned lawn chair some poor sap had left behind. Yuffie was sprawled out on the ground dramatically. Apparently she was exhausted from her sack-race escapades. Cloud was doing what he did best—standing in a corner, looking intimidating. Leon touched the wall one last time and sighed, turning to help clean up. No rest for the wicked.

"Hey, am I late?" Sora poked his head around the gate, then groaned. "Aaaaaaargh! I always miss all the fun stuff!" He kicked a pebble, and someone behind him yelped in pain. "Oops. Sorry, Donald."

The mage grumbled irritably, stomping past the Keyblade Master (as much as you could stomp with giant webbed feet.) Sora and Goofy ambled down the stairs. "Gawrsh, looks like it was some shin-dig!" Goofy remarked.

"Late saving the world again?" Tifa joked, stuffing a greasy paper plate into a garbage sack.

Sora snorted. "Yeah, right. More like saving Hayner from his new bike. He drove it right into the local gang's spot and shattered two windows."

There were a couple winces and one impressed whistle (from Cid, of course). "So the turbo worked?"

"Oh, it worked all right. It turbo-ed Hayner right into Rai, and then Fuu jumped Hayner and tried to pull him off the bike--"

"It kept going after running through a _wall_?"

"The front wheel laid a strip of three-inch-think rubber on their carpet. Anyways, Hayner and Fuu are locked in battle. So their leader pulls out this tiny revolver-thing with a switchblade attached to the barrel, starts waving it around."

"Oh, Jenova…"

Sora was in full-fledged storytelling mode now. "Then Pence runs in. He's a nice guy, but… well, he's not much use in a fight. Pence starts pulling Rai's hair. Then Olette starts screaming at the guy to 'put down the gun!' All this time, the dirt bike revving so loud you can barely hear anything. All of the sudden, Fuu flips Hayner right out of his seat and accidentally trips a switch with her elbow."

Leon shook his head. "Don't tell me, it was--"

"The heat seeker missile? Oh yeah. That switch." Sora speared a cup with the tip of his Keyblade, flipping it into Aerith's trash bag. "The missile goes for the hottest thing around: the bike's motor. It explodes and blows out the last window. By the time I got there, Rai had Hayner around the neck and was about to rearrange his face. I totally had to pay out to get that jerk to call off his goons. I lost fifteen hundred munny in that deal."

This time, everyone winced. Fifteen hundred munny wasn't a pittance. Cid slung an arm around Sora's shoulder and shoved a glass of tea into his hands. "Real sad story, kid. Now shuddup and drink your tea."

After some murmuring ("right through the wall!" and "well, he did ask for it.") everyone turned back to picking up. Paper plates and debris were strewn everywhere, looking like confetti instead of utensils. Sora groaned inwardly. Why was he always stuck cleaning up other people's messes? With a quiet sigh, he began picking up a pile of broken forks someone had stepped on.

There was silence for awhile, then a small, papery _fwt_. Leon turned and picked up a wadded-up napkin. "All right, who threw it?"

As if on cue, every head turned to Yuffie. "What? You jerks! I didn't throw it! Did I, Sora?" The ninja batted her eyes at him.

Tifa grinned. "Liar!" She threw a plastic cup at Yuffie, who squealed and immediately fired off a spoon. Tifa ducked and the spoon hit Cloud right in the back of the head. "Hey--"

With that, an all-out utensil fight ensued.

Yuffie hit the deck, grabbing up an armful of used napkins and shooting them at Goofy, cackling madly. Leon dove under a table, right into Cloud—who hit the table leg, collapsing the table and dumping an entire bowl of punch on the two's heads.

Sora was wielding a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other. He attacked Aerith, who was sneaking up on an unsuspecting Tifa with a pizza box. Aerith squealed and jabbed the Keyblade Master in the stomach with a spoon. "Oh no you don't!" Out of nowhere, Cid hoisted them both up and dumped them in a heap beside the sopping Leon and Cloud.

Sora blinked, trying to claw pizza sauce out of his eyes. He glanced at Cloud, then grinned. "So, your hair sticks when it's wet up too?" Cloud, slightly stunned, just nodded. "Nice to find another one," Sora continued. "Everyone always asks me how much gel I use— _Yuffie, watch out_--_!_"

Tifa smashed a plate of baked beans right into Yuffie's shirt, who flailed her arms wildly and catapulted right into Cid, who had Donald in a headlock, who was smacking Goofy with the handle of a butter knife. The four went down in a tangled mess of arms, legs, knives, and beans.

Tifa very delicately placed her foot on Cid's head. "I believe," she said daintily, "this makes me the winner."

Sora struggled to his feet, bowing clumsily. "I believe you're correct. Pick your prize."

The boxer tapped her nails against her chin thoughtfully. Then, her eyes lit up. "I want a picture. Right now. So everyone line up." Pause. "That means _you_, Cloud Strife."

Later, everyone would agree that the picture itself was… interesting. Tifa was half in and half out of the frame (the self-timer wasn't set right.) Yuffie was jumping into the air, Cid was digging in his pocket for a cigarette, and Donald and Goofy were arguing about something. Leon was squeezing punch out of his hair. Aerith was flicking a baked bean out of Cloud's eyes. The only person looking slightly normal was Sora, and even he was grinning like a loon and flashing the "peace" sign with his fingers. (Cid thought it was a gang sign, and scribbled Sora's hand out of the picture with permanent marker.)

Tifa skidded to a stop. "Crap. I think the timer was wrong. Oh well," she shrugged.

Everyone stood around awkwardly in the post-party silence.

"Um," Leon cocked his head. "Can I go wash my hair out now?"

_

* * *

Extra Epilogue:_

Hayner rocked on his heels. His reflection in the glassy windows showed an extremely nervous teenager, with a rather impressive black eye. "Stupid turbo," he mumbled. "No idea how I'm going to pay for this…"

The doorbell chimed as Pence and Olette entered. Only Pence was slightly worse for the wear from their little skirmish—Rai had elbowed him in the chin and busted his lip. Pence refused to use any antibiotic, insisting that it made him look tough. Hayner just thought he looked like a teddy bear with a rip.

"How much is it?" Olette asked. Hayner told her.

The threesome let out a wince in perfect unison.

"So, no watermelon or trips to the beach for a while, right?" Pence tried, smiling tightly.

Hayner rolled his eyes. "How about no spending any money until we graduate from college? There's no way I'm clearing out bees for money this time. I got stung more than I hit a bee. She can pay for insecticide."

The threesome stood in silence. Then, Hayner chucked softly. "Well," he remarked, "it is a nice bike. But it does need repairs now…" He trailed off purposely.

"Do you think he could put in a laser?"

* * *

After the number of comments I got on Hayner's sweet bike, I had to keep going! So Remix 16, I hope you liked it. I had a ball writing it!

Many thanks to you who checked out "Since the Fall of Man." Great story, eh?

...I want a bike with a heat seeker missile...

--Akiko


	32. Changes

****

32. changes (cloud, aerith)

Shafts of sunlight filtered in through broken windows, bathing the old library in a warm, soft glow. Aerith felt a bit like an intruder-- the crunch of broken glass and the crinkle of torn paper underneath her boots reminded her of the prowler Leon had caught snooping around a week earlier. The Heartless last year had pretty much destroyed the old fortress of Hollow Bastion, leaving the palace in rubble. But something in Aerith just couldn't let this room go.

She bent down, picking up an old book and wiping the dust off the cover with the scalloped hem of her skirt. The title, _The Layman's Guide to the Care and Keeping of Chocobos,_ was embossed on the front cover in flaking gold paint.

How long had it been since she'd ridden a chocobo? Years, surely. Swept up in a wave of nostalgia, she climbed the spiral staircase and sat down at the heavy oak desk. The book was fabulously illustrated, and the flower girl couldn't help but grin. Never before had a field chocobo looked so stately...

"I always liked the black ones best," a soft voice behind her stated.

Aerith smiled fondly. "I remember, Cloud." She met his eyes. That was the one thing about Cloud she could never quite get over-- his eyes. They were a maddeningly lovely shade of blue, like someone had poured a tablespoon of sky into them. "I remember when you nearly started a stampede at a chocobo farm, too."

Cloud blushed. "That was an accident," he mumbled. Aerith laughed, twirling a strand of hair absently.

Quiet fell. She stood, clasping her hands behind her back. "I always liked this room," she remarked. She smiled at him over her shoulder. "This is where we found each other again, remember?"

"Of course."

Aerith meandered around the room, watching Cloud absently. He had picked up the book and was leafing through the pages, his eyes flitting over the pages that she hoped brought something back to him too. His clothing had changed since he'd returned-- Cloud no longer wore his "Vincent crap" as Yuffe had dubbed it. His posture wasn't the same defeated slump as before. She wasn't the same either. Aerith had opted to switch her jacket for a ruffled shirt and wistfulness for action. She realized something with a start.

"We've changed."

"Sure." Cloud shrugged. "Some things change. But..." He trailed off. "Some things don't, I suppose."

Then, he kissed her. And Aerith realized that his hair was still as unruly as before, and that his lips still curled up slightly when their noses touched, and they both still loved each other.

Some things just don't change.

* * *

I actually wrote this about a year ago, right when I thought up the idea for Espy. This was originally planned to be the fifth in the series, and ended up being number thirty-two. Hah. I only made a few tweaks. So, how did it stack up?

Maybe you have noticed that my updates have slowed down. Well, it's for a very good reason, I'm happy to report! I am starting the third chapter of my long-awaited Hollow Basiton epic. And boy, it's epic! Here's a few bits for my wonderful readers, reviewers, and lurkers: As of now, it's untitled. It happens post KHII: Sora, Kairi, and Riku are stranded in Hollow Bastion after their gummi is trashed. For two weeks, they're entangled in daily life at the Bastion... which includes training, total breakdowns, a nightly storytime with Sora, a serial killer, and some really, really terrible barley tea (well, according to Leon. Don't tell him I told you that, though!) Each chapter represents one day, so it will run 14 chapters. My wonderful beta is Apakoha, who I am beta-ing for as you may know! The prompts that are super-old will all be used in this story.

So, there it is! My story arc has moved from "idea" to "actually happening." Yeah! So, review! Tell me what you think not only of Espy, but of the story. Got anything you'd like to see, or a story from Kingdom Hears you'd like retold through Sora's eyes (what was he THINKING?.) Thanks, guys!

Akiko


	33. Enthusiasm

**29. enthusiasm (leon, aerith, yuffie)**

_"I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things...I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind." Leo Buscaglia_

_

* * *

_

"What's she doing?"

"I don't know."

"…"

"She's going to fall and break her neck, that's what she's going to do."

"Quit being such a mother hen, Leon. If I remember correctly, Yuffie's the one who grabbed your jacket to stop _you_ from falling off the bailey."

"Hmph."

"…"

"…"

"Why's she—is that riverdance? …Jenova. She's riverdancing on a wall. With a giant ninja star strapped to her back. Aerith, tell me I'm not crazy."

"Hmm."

"…"

"Leon, don't you ever wish that you could go out and just dance on walls sometimes?"

"…Not particularly."

"Maybe dancing is what makes life worth living."

"Maybe dancing is what makes you a patient in the psych ward."

"Maybe you two could share a room. Dance around the padded walls."

"Aerith, what's gotten into you?"

"I think I'm going to go join her. Don't burn down the house while I'm gone!"

"Aeri--"

"_Hey, Aerith! Wanna dance?"_

"…crazy women…"

* * *

Written as a challenge to myself. Have you ever tried writing a ficlet using ONLY speech? No description at all? Only what people say.I hope I pulled it off okay-- I wrote it in about ten minutes of "must write Espy!" Yeah, one of those. Believe it or not, I wrote some extra and I have another drabble waiting! Akiko can finally use her fancy "coming up next" line. Happy day!

Review and tell me what you thought of the chapter. Thanks also to my anonymous reviewers who I can't reply to, but enjoy just the same!

--Akiko

**ÇőмîŋĢ Ůþ ŅëχŁ:** _clic-click-k-kli-ck-ic-click..._ silly squall, you can't blame the pen for your anguish.


	34. Inky

**34. inky (leon)**

_"Ink smears, as thoughts sometimes do." --Emme Woodhull-Bäche_

* * *

_clic-click-k-kli-ck-ic-click_ The pen shook in his hand. His fingers clenched tightly and he crushed the paper in his palm, throwing it away and ripping off another.

_Cid—I can't stay here. I have to tr- - ind Ri- - -. List………. _The pen gouged streaks in the paper. Traverse Town was too poor to afford a stupid five-cent pen, he hated this place, he hated everyone here, he wanted to go _home_— and he was stuck in this stupid Traverse Town forever, waiting for some idiot with KEY! – _I can't do anything--!_

Squall hurled the pen across the room. It ricocheted off the wall and pinged onto his gunblade, rolling on the floor awkwardly. There was a giant inkspot on the wall. Now the pen decided to work and smeared inky crap all over. Oh, he hated this place. Squall trembled in rage, in desperation, and in raw agony that was scraped at with sandpaper made of up seconds and hours and days and—

and--

_clic-click-k-kli-ck-ic-click _

He couldn't blame the pen this time.

* * *

I know it's short, but I think the quality is solid... okay? Just agree please...!

Anyway. As I said in the last chapter, updates are slow because I have been feverishly working on my story arc-- one chapter of that is maybe 10, 12 Espys. So on those terms, I am FLYING! But I do intend to write more of these. I have some awesome requests and I'll be writing them when I get a free minute. What am I telling you guys for, you know what school is like.

Thanks everyone!

Akiko


	35. Returns

**35) returns (all)**

It is different, this new Hollow Bastion.

It is not like how they remember it.

* * *

There's big huge rocks, colored bluish-slate, as if giants stomped on rubble, and there's powder-dust debris floating around everywhere, getting in their war-torn amazed eyes and their raggedy new clothes and making it so hard to take in one more choked breath.

It is different.

* * *

Cid sits, unconsciously letting out a breath of relief, resting his calloused hands on the knees of his beat-up coveralls. These are going to need to be cleaned up, he thinks, pulling out a cigarette and taking a drag. The air is already dirty enough as it is.

One lone pilot, breathing in grimy air. Wondering if he can change this world.

* * *

The streets are broken up. The giant with the bluish-slate rocks has moved on to the pavement, dancing a merry jig and rupturing the ceramic and cement until they are sticking straight up in big ugly spikes. There are copper pipes winking and naked wiring sparking and a general aura of '_this is unsafe_' wafting about the whole place.

It is strange.

* * *

Yuffie balances on a downed pipe on one foot, feeling the water seep slowly into her boot. Waterproof, yeah right. There's so much junk everywhere that even the Heartless left. Light-forsaken little mongrels. She'll kill them all with a smile and a bat of her eyelashes.

One lone girl, balancing on a leaky pipe. Wondering if she can change this world.

* * *

Past the broken down path lies the bailey. Or more appropriately, what used to be the bailey. The giant bluish-slate rocks have crumpled under the giant's fist. There is just enough debris to form a path upward, to the lookout sight. The view from the top ledge would be picturesque if it wasn't so horrifying.

It is unnerving.

* * *

Leon squares his shoulders and forces himself to look over the edge of the bailey. It is not a pretty sight. When he was small, he would eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches sitting on this ledge. Now he would toss it down to watch the horde of Heartless tear each other apart over it. There are so many of the dark, and there are so few of the light.

One lone swordsman, staring into the abyss. Wondering if he can change this world.

* * *

Past the bailey, up to the borough. Houses are cleaved straight through with giant bluish-slate rocks; they lie ruptured like an orange, sectioned out in rooms instead of slices. The giant has left his mark. There is no sign of life anywhere; the only human faces to be seen are in ripped-out pages of photo albums, or shattered picture frames.

It is saddening.

* * *

Aerith kneels on the ground (which is ironic because what she's resting on is a piece of roof.) Her eyes are dry, and she wants to fight the coldness in her heart but can't seem to find the will in her. It is not as if there are dying who she can heal. There is nothing here to save. There is _nothing_.

One lone—

_

* * *

No_

.

* * *

It took quite a long time for everyone to piece together what Aerith had, in that split second. The Heartless did not act alone, and neither should they. 'One lone' was not the mindset to have when you're trying to win a war. Or when you're trying to piece together a life.

So later, when they began picking up after the giant and cutting giant bluish-slate rocks into building blocks for houses, there was no 'lone' about it. It was still different, strange, unnerving, saddening. There is wreckage in the mind that cannot be so easily cleared.

* * *

Many months later, fruits of their labor are finally seen.

* * *

Leon distributes small plastic cards. They are quite cheaply printed, and rather flimsy. The plastic is already peeling away from the edges (Yuffie will be picking at that for the next week.) But it is the text that is telling.

_HOLLOW BASTION RESTORATION COMMITTEE_

Look carefully on that card. There is no 'lone' about it; there is not even a hint of separate-ness. There is one team, one unit, one committee.

* * *

One family, balancing a town on their shoulders. Wondering if they can change the world.

**

* * *

**_end_

* * *

_Espy is back!_

There's so much that has happened in the last year, so let me sum up the two important points for those who like to skim:  
**1) Requests are on a clean slate**. All requests are gone; if you have an old one you still want re-send it. Otherwise, please send in your requests so that Espy can continue!  
**2) My epic is three-fourths done**. My Hollow Bastion epic is about ten of fourteen chapters completed. I don't know the release date and I don't presume to estimate, but let me tell you that it is the most amazing story I've ever written. Bar none.

In other news, I am in college now! Yeah, what a trip... Well, how this affects you guys is that coming up with orignal Espy's will be even more difficult, which makes your requests even more valued. Updates will be less frequent, but I have a few Espy's already stored up, so I don't presume to leave everyone hanging for another year. If anyone is particularly curious as to fanfic status or just general life stuff, shoot me a PM. And, I won sunflowerb's Sokai contest some months ago; if you haven't read "Maybe Home" now, I'd highly suggest it.

To everyone who reviewed in the last year- I greatly, _greatly_ appreciate it! I'm excited to have you new readers on board, and excited to welcome back all my old subscribers. Thank you for reading.

Welcome back to Hollow Bastion!

-Akiko


	36. Your Pictured Patron

**36) your pictured patron (leon) **for _SilverInkblot_

_Leon finds something unexpected in the office of Ansem the Wise._

_

* * *

_

Leon is looking over the _DTD_ etching on the wall when he sees it. It's barely visible underneath a wad of papers, pens, and other miscellany. The black edge gleams just a bit, catching his eye, piquing his interest.

He kneels, fishes the edge out from between status reports and laboratory specs. It's broken. Leon is careful not to cut his fingers on the glass. The image staring back at him is both sweet and horrifying. Actually, Leon can hardly believe that this particular item, of all the things left in the office, was what he happened to chance upon.

The hair is absolutely unmistakable; it seems the rest of the figure is simply confirming the identity that the red locks suggest. The tiny girl is smiling big with all of the sugary sweetness you'd expect of a four-year-old. She holds the hand of Ansem the Wise. Maybe he's imagining it, but it seems that the outside of her mouth is ringed in blue syrup, the same color ice cream that Donald's uncle is always trying to re-create.

Leon stares at Kairi's photo in the broken frame for quite some time. Did Ansem know he'd be shipping her off to an unknown world? Was he trying to make some kind of amends for the life she was about to be dumped into? Was he simply showing a fatherly love for one of the many children he looked after?

A noise breaks the silence. It's a few Heartless in the corridor, probably getting into a scrap with the Nobodies he's seen prowling recently. He goes to set the picture frame down, then pauses. Was it a reminder of a confused past and a patron saint who brought untold pain, or a treasured memory of a childhood not documented?

After a moment of contemplation, he tucks it into his jacket, then trots off to deal with the upstarts in the hall. At least one of his problems could be easily dealt with.

* * *

Wow, I did an actual prompt! I do have some of them lying around somewhere.

College is crazy, in good and bad ways. Updates will be scattered. I also find myself back in the Naruto fandom, expressing my utter undying love for Aburame Shino... cue fangirl sigh.

Sorry about sporadic review replies. I have vowed to myself to reply RIGHT when I read them, so my appreciation will be vocalized this chapter!

-Akiko


	37. Flashes: Happenstance

This is a series, hence the strange title/numeration. There will be a set of "flashes" dealing with characters that didn't quite make it into Kingdom Hearts. You're welcome to leave your guesses (although it should't be too hard) in your reviews.

This is a reflection on an idea that crosses many peoples' mind... chance, destiny, whatever you call it. Say you met the love of your life while walking down the street... But what if they'd decided to take the bus instead that day?

* * *

**37) flashes:  
#1, happenstance ****(cid, ?)**

Cid was irate. The reasons for this were enough to fill a book, but currently, one event was targeted in the crosshairs of Cid's temper. It was the fact that he was standing here, right now, in the _Marketplace_, getting groceries. Next thing, he'd be driving a minivan and dropping Leon off at soccer and Yuffie at ballet.

What was he, some kind of nanny? Cid snorted derisively and lit up a cigarette.

It didn't help that he was probably getting ripped off worse than a week-old Band-Aid. Haggling wasn't his forte; as if he knew what anything was really worth here. Aerith did all of the shopping, he did all the eating, and everything worked out just fine. Until Leon had to go and mortally wound himself, tying up Little Miss Healer for the foreseeable future.

Cid was currently picking over a selection of fruits overseen by a very pushy vendor, who was probably trying to stick the clueless idiot with the bad fruit that no one else in their right mind would buy. Cid grunted a curse.

"Here, what are you looking for?"

A woman appeared at his side, smiling good-naturedly. Cid grunted. "Some apples. Bananas. Peach or two. Dunno."

She laughed, and despite himself Cid found the corners of his lips twitching upward. "Let me guess: wife couldn't do the shopping today?" she teased.

"Somethin' like that." Cid turned his attention back to the fruit stand. "Got anythin' special you'd recommend?"

She launched into a very animated discussion of fruit, which Cid promptly tuned out. She was quite pretty, with hair a shade between black and brown and sparkling, mischievous eyes set off by a pair of simple drop earrings. Her sweater constantly got in the way as her nimble fingers picked over the various fruits. Cid wondered dimly where she'd gotten it; wool that nice was difficult to come by. Especially in sky-blue with a pair of wings embroidered on the back.

"Hel-_lo?_" She waved a hand in front of his face. "I asked if you'd prefer things to preserve or things to eat immediately."

Cid blinked. The girl gave him a rueful grin, and tossed in a handful of dates into his bag. It had somehow been filled while he had been daydreaming. "Well, that should cover you for a few days, in any case. Enough time for your wife to restock in a few days!" She paused and grinned. "You're a million miles away. Look into my eyes: you're-going-to-like-me!"

Cid chuckled. "S'pose I don't got much of a choice." He handed his money to the vendor, who looked glum at missing his chance to unload his poorer stock. "What's yer name? I got some people who'd like to meet yo—"

He stopped abruptly. The girl was gone, blue sweater and all. Cid blinked several times, checking his bag again. The fruit was still there. He turned to the shopkeeper. "Didja—ahh… I mean… Oh, fergit it."

Lighting another cigarette, Cid headed back to the house. Figment of his imagination or not, that girl had a little magic in her.

* * *

Interpret as you wish.

Reviews are wonderful. My story arc is chugging along; I have 10/14 chapters finished. Requests left in the last few chapters have also been filed!

Speaking of requests... Anyone have any idea for a Christmas Espy you'd like to see?

-Akiko


	38. Naturally, Christmas

**38) naturally, Christmas **for _nuts for Star Wars, serenbach, _and_ GypsyKate_.

* * *

Leon shut the door behind him, reveling the sudden, snowy silence. Everything seemed so much stiller with the five-inch blanket stretching across the Bastion. He leaned back against the wall, content to let the mug of hot coffee warm through his leather gloves. The night sky provided a pleasing contrast—the inky black sky to the sparkling white snow covering every inch of the neighborhood.

The Hollow Bastion community had given the Restoration Committee what Leon considered one of his best Christmas presents to date—a night off. They'd appointed squad captains hand-picked by Leon's number one civilian operative, handed Leon a printed-out schedule of their rounds, and bid the group a Merry Christmas. Leon pulled this schedule out of his back pocket, looking over the current watchdogs. Fine, of course.

The door opened once again, and Leon caught a quick whiff of Aerith's sugar cookies before Cid slammed it shut. He quickly pulled out a cigarette and lit up, sighing happily. "Quiet night, ain't it?"

"It _was_," Leon muttered under his breath. Cid shot him a sharp look, then relax as he realized that Leon had been joking. The pilot grinned and released a plume of smoke into the gunman's face.

"Your sense of humor hasn't improved since last Christmas," Cid replied. Leon coughed and waved the smoke away. "Got tired of the holiday spirit?" he asked, jerking a thumb toward the door.

"Yuffie kept trying to string tinsel in my hair," he deadpanned. "Figured that was a good time to duck out."

"I'm surprised Blondie is lasting as long as he is." Cloud had returned late on Christmas Eve, surprising everyone except Aerith who insisted she'd known all along that he wouldn't miss this. Last Leon had seen, Cloud had been roped into a Christmas cookie-eating contest by Yuffie and Tifa. Leon wished him luck… Tifa had the appetite of ten men.

Cid ground out his cigarette and picked up a mug from where he'd set it earlier. Leon raised a brow. "If that's straight eggnog, I'll give you the Skill Ring I got from Tifa."

"Keep it," Cid harrumphed. "Whiskey in the eggnog is my Christmas tradition."

"I saw Yuffie with a bottle earlier. I think you two might share that tradition now."

"What?" Cid yanked the door open. "That's my good stuff, no way I'm wasting it on that brat. _Yuffie!_"

The ninja in question skipped out of his way, grinning. "Think of it as an extra Christmas present, you Scrooge!"

Leon leaned against the doorframe, unable to stop a grin from working its way across his face. Yuffie skipped over Cloud, who was downing Tums as Tifa grinned victoriously. "I take it you lost," Leon called.

Cloud just shot him a dirty look and crunched his Tums. Yuffie tugged on the lapels of Leon's jacket, trying to pull him inside. "Come on, Squally! You're letting in all the cold air."

"I think he has something to do first," Cloud said suddenly. He motioned smugly above Leon's head.

Leon groaned, not even bothering to look up. Wasn't that just typical? Yuffie grinned and cackled. "Yes! Mistletoe! I knew it would come in handy. C'mon, Mister Serious, pucker up."

"Yuffie…"

"Come on, Leon," Cloud prodded, clearly enjoying his revenge for the cookie incident. "Rules are rules."

Leon grimaced, but leaned down and let Yuffie kiss his cheek. "That's all you're going to get," he muttered, "so enjoy it."

Yuffie made a show of licking her lips happily before bounding off to snatch more cookies. Wiping his face, Leon grabbed a glass of Cid's 'eggnog' and sat down in a ratty armchair. "I still think we should have played Dirty Santa," she announced. "It would have made opening gifts so much better, 'cause everyone would have stolen mine."

Dirty Santa—switching and stealing gifts. A typical Yuffie idea. Especially since Yuffie had boxed up a Defender's shield and given it to Leon as a gag gift; a gift that had nearly snapped his face off as soon as he'd opened it.

Tifa and Yuffie soon began squabbling over who gave the best gift. Beside them Cid sat sneaking a smoke, and Aerith was brushing cookie crumbs out of Cloud's hair. Leon allowed himself a moment to look back: their first Christmas off Hollow Bastion had been huddled in the back of a crowded apartment in Traverse Town, trying not to freeze to death. How long had it been since they'd had an actual Christmas? Years. And yet everyone here seemed to fall so naturally into the season.

Then Cid belched loudly, alerting Aerith to the spiked eggnog. As soon as Aerith's back was turned, Yuffie began sneaking ornaments off the tree and stuffing them in her pockets while Tifa laughed until tears came to her eyes. Once again, Leon couldn't stop a grin from forming on his face.

Maybe 'falling naturally into the season' was a bit of an exaggeration.

* * *

A very-hastily written Christmas oneshot. I felt like a jerk picking just one prompt, so I decided to at least hint at all of them. This piece isn't the quality that I usually try to put out, but hey, it's Christmas! It's awesome enough on its own.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

-Akiko


	39. Sewn Up

This entire piece has double meaning, which isn't too difficult to figure out if you look.

**39) sewn up (leon)**

* * *

That cut had changed him, somehow. It scored the skin right across the bridge of his nose. It couldn't be any more prominent, any more obvious, any more daring. In one fell swoop of a blade, Squall Leonheart was tagged for life.

* * *

The stitches were neat. The wound was not.

* * *

Aerith brushes Squall's hair back from his forehead, careful not to touch the laceration. He fidgets. His hands are curiously empty; the gunblade has been his constant companion since That Day. It is much too big for him (Cid remarked that he'd grow into it. Aerith didn't want to know how). Someone should have told him years ago that when you are one fish out of hundreds in a barrel, you are not responsible for the ones that get shot.

Aerith examines the cut. "The stitches are ready to come out," she noted. "I'll go get my surgical sciss—"

"_No_."

Aerith waits for him to elaborate. He doesn't, just sits uncomfortably, a hand against his forehead. "You'll get an infection," Aerith says. "They can't stay in forever. We have to take them out."

Squall contemplates. As he has a choice in the matter. When he doesn't protest any further, Aerith opens a drawer, draws out her scissors. She motions for Squall to lie down and hold his hair back. She leans over, letting the blunt side of the scissors rest against his skin.

She snips the first stitch. Squall gives no indication of pain. Then, a second. Third. The scissors _shik-shik-shik_ in the cool night air for several minutes of otherwise unbroken silence. Until:

"Teach me."

Aerith pauses at her work to look at him. "Teach you what?"

"To sew." Squall's eyes give nothing away. "I need to learn."

Aerith nods. She waits several moments before resuming work, giving time for elaboration that, once again, doesn't come.

* * *

Traverse Town is always dark. Aerith tries not to attach too much significance to this. Her life is already loaded with double meanings.

Squ—_Leon_ is sitting in a char in Cid's shop, facing the hearth. He is bent over, elbows on his knees, propping up his chin with two hands. He wears an expression of contemplation, tinged with the melancholy that follows him like a stray dog. His leather jacket lays rumpled in his lap.

"Are you going to take the job?" Aerith asks quietly.

A group of the more influential people of Traverse had asked Leon to form up a guard of sorts. And to lead it. She has no doubts as to whether he can do the job; it's to whether this job will do him in.

Leon grunts noncommittally. He leans back in the chair, stretching his back until a vertebra pops. Leon runs a hand along the jacket. "I ripped along the sleeve. Can't find thread that'll hold it together."

Aerith draws to his side and inspects the sleeve. "Leather is one of the more difficult things to sew. It's actually _too_ tough." Her hand pauses. "Softer materials are easier to mend," she adds, almost as an afterthought.

Leon declines to comment. Aerith flips the sleeve inside-out and looks at the thread. "I know where they sell this. I'll pick some up for you tomorrow."

Leon nods. Then, almost embarrassed— "Thank you."

* * *

The boy is gone.

Aerith opens the window, feeling the muggy air of Traverse Town against her skin. "You let him walk off with the Keyblade?" she asks.

Leon nods. He's sitting on the edge of the bed, loading his gunblade. "Seems like he can handle it," he replied.

Aerith shuts the window again, shooting him a small smirk. "For the record, I was able to talk to the other two _without_ concussing them first."

Leon grunts at that, but Aerith sees the corner of his mouth twitch up. He stands and pulls on his jacket. His brow creases as he turns over his shoulder. A section of the back patch has fallen loose from its seams— the left tip of the lion's cross. Sora has left his signature from their ill-fated battle. Aerith raises a brow teasingly.

"Lucky shot," Leon says dismissively.

"So Sora left a tear," she says lightly. "He's the Keyblade Master. He should." He harrumphs. Aerith doesn't bother hiding her smile. "You'd better fix that before Yuffie sees."

Not much managed to tear Leon's jacket anymore. Except, apparently, Sora.

* * *

It's freezing, colder than she remembers. This… _Hollow Bastion_. Her head knows it's home, but her heart just doesn't feel it yet. But, in time, Aerith is confident the feeling will return.

She wanders, cataloguing damage like the medic she is. Her home is in shambles. Dark viral shadow still clings, but it has somehow missed vital organs; the Bastion is still breathing. Everyone else has scattered. Sora sealed the Keyhole a week ago, and the Heartless have gone from a steady flow to a barely perceptible trickle. Aerith knows better than to write them off. She can still feel the darkness.

Leon is sitting on the railing, looking out into nothing. It's quite picturesque, if you find a deserted war zone scenic. She hops up next to him and hugs her pink jacket closer. "Colder up here," she remarks idly.

He nods. "We'll have to leave this part for now, build lower. Past the Crystal Fissures, inside the original wall." He pauses. "We'll still be up here occasionally."

She fingers the lapel of his jacket. "Then you should trim it. Fur lining."

Leon inspects the jacket and nods. There is a long silence. Aerith clears her throat. "Adding instead of fixing," she says quietly.

Leon gives her a look. "Not everything has a double meaning," he deadpans.

"Some things do."

He acquiesces.

They sit in silence for a long spell. Finally Leon speaks. "I was thinking… How does '_restoration committee' _sound?"

* * *

Aerith is waiting for a pot of water to boil, deliberately averting her eyes as per superstition, when Sora crashes in. He calls out a loud welcome. Aerith smiles and returns it, a few decibels less. Leon just nods.

Sora helps himself to a cup of tea. As he pours, Aerith notices something. "You've ripped your jacket," she notes. "The hood."

Sora twists his back and his nose scrunches up. "Crap," he mutters.

Leon doesn't look up from his Committee paper work, but Aerith can feel his interest piqued. "I can fix it," she says airily, watching Leon out of the corner of her eye.

"Really?" Sora smiles. "That would be great. I have no idea how to sew."

Aerith takes the jacket, and then pauses in mock disappointment. "Oh! I forgot. I have a house call tonight. Checkup on a toddler with whooping cough." She begins to hand the jacket back, then pauses. "Leon? Could you?"

He looks up. As if he wasn't already listening to every word. "Sure," he says blandly.

Sora looks at him. "Leon, you sew?"

Leon rubs at the scar on his nose absently. "On and off," he says, almost daring.

Sora nods. "Could you teach me?"

"You really want that?"

Sora's brows furrow, picking up on the subtle double meaning but declining to comment. "I thought it would be a useful skill," he says cautiously.

Leon nods. "You need to learn," he replies simply.

* * *

As if it is at all simple.

One knot is tied, and another seam begins.

* * *

END

* * *

Anyway, so I was fixing a rip a few months ago, and this sort of happened. It was actually one of the first things I wrote after my year-long hibernation.

Next Espy shall be another one of the "Flashes" series. Kudos to all who correctly guessed Rinoa for #37; you're right of course!

-Akiko


	40. Flashes: My Hero

**40) flashes  
#2, my hero (yuffie, ?)**

"Oh, sweet _Lifestream_, this is heavy…" Yuffie muttered to herself as she shifted her grip on the iron girder, refusing to let her knees buckle. She saw the children scramble out from underneath—one, two, three, four… Where was the fifth? Fabulous. "Hey, kid, move your butt before I kick it out, 'kay?"

She heard a girl's pathetic sniffle from underneath the rubble. "My leg hurts real bad."

Fabulous. "Can you move?"

The crying restarted, louder than before. Yuffie groaned. "Why do I always have to be the one on patrol when this happens?" she shouted.

The idiot children had decided to go fool around in the ruins of the old Bastion, which apparently did not take kindly to children playing on it. They'd been trapped under a section of stone from a fallen overhang. Yuffie had been on her rounds when she heard screaming, and she ended up reaching them in the nick of time. Which led to where she was now… Holding up a monstrous boulder, nobody around to lend a hand, a child with a broken leg, her cell out of reach, and her strength quickly evaporating.

The stone gave a crack from above her, and Yuffie groaned. "Come on, kid, now or never!"

The wailing grew louder, and Yuffie's boots began losing purchase on the loose gravel. This was officially not funny anymore. "Come _on!_" Yuffie bit her lip and tried to hook the kid around her ankle. But her foot swiped empty air. She gasped, scrambling to hold the loose rock, but her hands were slicked with sweat, and there was nothing she could do. She dropped to her knees and threw her arms around the child; if she took most of the brunt of the debris, maybe… "_Get your head down!_"

There was another massive crack—then everything suddenly stopped. A trail of gravel trickled onto her cheek, and Yuffie looked up incredulously.

A young man stood bracing the rock, with his back to the sun. The backlighting made it impossible to make out his face. He grunted and shifted his grip, sending another shower of gravel over Yuffie and the kid. At least she'd stopped whimpering. Near-death experiences could scare the sniffles right outta you.

"Not that this isn't comfy," the young man said in a strained, unfamiliar voice, "but would you mind moving?"

"Oh! So sorry." Yuffie bundled the child up in her arms and rolled nimbly out from under the overhang. Heh, _under_ the _over_hang… Good one. Yuffie took a moment to store that gem away in the mental notebook. The kid was trying to contain her crying now, bearing her broken/sprained/hurt leg well enough to sit quietly on Yuffie's hip. This girl was tougher than Yuffie'd given her credit for. Brushing gravel off her knees, Yuffie turned to take a closer look at her unexpected savior.

He'd dropped the overhang and was now taking a breather, hands on his knees. He looked to be somewhere in his twenties. Wild black hair looked like a windstorm had blown it from his face. He had a fighter's build and outfit—mostly black, brown, and navy, with large shoulder guards to match. He looked up at Yuffie and gave her a cheeky grin and winked a baby blue eye. Oh, yeah, eye candy. Yummy.

"Where'd you get those shoulder guards?" Yuffie blurted the first thing that came to her mind.

The young man pulled a face. "I just saved your life _and_ hers, and you ask about my armor?" He laughed good-naturedly at Yuffie's blush. "Don't worry about it. You look like the kind of girl who deals with this kind of stuff on a daily basis… Figures it'd get old hat." He tapped his armor and winked. "The shoulder pads came standard military issue."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Military always gets all the good stuff. And thanks for the hero moves. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be back this far into the ruins."

"Well, you could say that I'm a backwater expert." The young man scratched the back of his head. Seriously, was being this cute _allowed?_

He adjusted the sword hanging on his back, and Yuffie fully noticed it for the first time. "Big sword," she noted. In fact, it was the only sword she'd ever seen that neared the size of Cloud's. As a matter of fact, the two swords looked almost… "What's your name?"

"Oh, sorry! I'm—"

"_Duke!_" An older woman ran towards them, sweeping the girl from Yuffie's arms into her own. Wait, Duke? This woman did realize that she had a _daughter_, right? Not a son? Yuffie'd kill to hear the story behind _that_ name. "Oh, Duke! We were so worried! Don't ever run off like that again!"

"I'm guessing you're this kid's mother?" Yuffie grimaced as she watched the mother lavish kisses all over the girl's reddish-gold hair. She'd rather have the broken leg, yuck.

"Yes, yes, of course. Thank you so much for saving her!" She engulfed Yuffie in a hug.

The ninja grimaced. "Don't just thank me, thank him!"

The woman released Yuffie and looked around, confused. "Who?"

"Right over—there…" She blinked. He was gone, vanished like a ghost. "Funny, he was just here a second ago…"

The girl had started sniffling again, probably due to the funny angle her ankle was at. Yuffie quickly agreed to escort the girl and her mother to the hospital. She'd have to track down that guy later; Leon was always on the lookout for recruits for the Restoration Committee. Too bad Cloud had just skipped town; Yuffie would have bet munny that the two wanderers had crossed paths before.

Oh well. She'd just have to ask him next time.

* * *

Another fun cameo! Yes! Actually, there are two here... bonus. The first is the obvious one, whom I shall not tell you the identity of. Although you've likely figured it out. The other is my best shot at a quick nod to the **awesome, amazing Rhino7!** The girl Duke is actually a dog in her story (yeah, yeah, I randomly made a dog a little girl, so sue me. I had to get a cameo in somewhere). I did so because Duke is my favorite character; she is Leon's awesome dog. Anyway, the reason I did the whole cameo is to point you toward her amazing stories! Like me, Rhino7 focuses a lot on the Hollow Bastion crowd, especially Leon and Tifa. I have many of her stories on my favorites list, and she is on my Favorite Author's list. Go check her out!

-Akiko


	41. Honey, Oil, and Water

**41) honey, oil, and water. (leon, cloud) **for _SilverInkblot_**  
**_"Merlin told them to leave Pooh's storybook alone. Now look what happened. "_

* * *

"We should not be here."

Leon harrumphed, stepping around a bush that looked way too happy. Cloud followed behind skittishly, or at least as skittish as someone like Cloud could be.

"I'm serious, Leon, we need to find a way out of here."

Leon turned around, shooting the blond an annoyed look. "Will you relax? We're in a book, not a war zone."

"I'd rather be in a war zone," Cloud muttered. "I'd feel more comfortable there."

Leon rolled his eyes and declined to comment. At least he'd convinced Cloud to leave his sword behind—an incredible feat. It wasn't as if they were going to run into any Heartless here. The sight of the massive Buster sword would probably scare the book's inhabitants more than any evildoers they'd run across. Leon had left his own gunblade behind as well—hidden inside a large log they'd stumbled across in a flowery field.

Flowery field. He'd give his right arm to be back on the cobblestoned streets fighting off Heartless. In Leon's opinion, Merlin should be locking up the book tight and stowing it somewhere safe, instead of keeping it _right in the open_ in the middle of a town _riddled with Heartless_.

But no one asked for Leon's opinion in regards to Merlin's fancy book.

This lack of concern led them to the situation they were in now. Cid and Merlin had been arguing, and the pilot had thrown his coffee at Merlin, who naturally ducked. The book had been splashed with half a cup of black, lukewarm coffee. Normally Leon would leave them to fix their own problem, but Cid had been called away by a sudden breakdown of the Claymores at the restoration storage site, and Merlin had expounded some nonsense about magical fields negatively reacting against each other, massive cosmic explosions, blah blah blah.

Which left the unlucky Leon and Cloud, the only ones who happened to be in the house, to go in and check up on the book's residents.

"This is one of the reasons I'm gone so often," Cloud muttered. "I could be doing something _useful_ right now."

Leon rolled his eyes, but declined to comment. Mention the name 'Sephiroth' to Cloud and it was like talking to a brick wall. "Let's just make this fast," Leon replied. "Get in, get out."

Cloud grunted his assent. They walked for another ten minutes or so before Cloud stopped and pointed. "Look. Three points west."

Leon did. He blinked. "…Is that a bear doing yoga?"

"Sure seems like it."

The bear did look like the one on the cover with Sora—a golden yellow, with a plump belly and soft black button eyes. Leon approached slowly, with Cloud trailing behind him. Coward.

Pooh looked up, but didn't quit his weird yoga-thing. "Oh, hello, Somebody-I-Don't-Know."

"Uh… hi."

"I would be glad to talk, but I am in the middle of my stoutness exercises. Do you think, perhaps, we could visit later?"

Leon threw a glance behind him. Cloud shook his head vehemently. _Take care of this NOW_, he mouthed.

Grimacing, the gunblade wielder turned back to Pooh. "I'm sorry, Pooh Bear, but my friend and I need to talk to you now."

Pooh looked up, now a tad concerned. "Well, if it is an emergency, I suppose I can do my stoutness exercises in a little bit." He straightened up and began toddling away from them. "Please, come inside. I think it's about time for a small smackeral of honey."

Cloud and Leon both had to bend double to fit through the tiny door, and the chairs weren't any easier to navigate. Leon decided on sitting cross-legged next to the table. He and Cloud took up about two-thirds of the room's surface area. Maybe this is what it felt like to be a giant.

Pooh set two tiny ceramic pots in front of them and plopped into a chair. "So, Somebodies-I-Don't-Know, what do I—well, need to know?"

"Well, there was a bit of an accident—where we come from," Leon replied slowly. "And we wondered if it affected your forest here."

"Has anything unusual happened lately?" Cloud interrupted.

Pooh scrunched his eyebrows together in thought, tapping a honey-covered paw against his temple. "Think, think, think…" He suddenly brightened. "Oh! Yes! Now that you mention it, there was this big _river_ that appeared. Different than all the other ones."

Leon suddenly felt like his day was about to get a lot longer. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Is it brown?"

"Brownish-black. And it smells very nice."

"Has anyone tasted—well, drank from the river?"

Pooh shrugged. "Well, we all tried a little slurp, but nobody really liked how it tasted. Except Eeyore. He's been drinking it all day."

"You think we could go see him?"

"That does sound rather fun." Pooh finished off his honey and began reaching for the untouched jars in front of Cloud and Leon. "But perhaps, first, I could just have another teensy smackeral of honey? Just to keep my tummy from getting rumbly on the way…"

* * *

It was another two hours before they finally set off to meet the mysterious Eeyore. They were walking on another forest path when Pooh stopped abruptly and craned his head upward. "Oh, dear."

"What?" Leon followed his gaze. There was a large structure peeking out of the forest that appeared to be made entirely from… branches? Upon closer inspection, it looked like a spire that would top a larger tower.

"A castle?" Cloud proposed softly. Leon shrugged.

Pooh looked confused. "Oh, bother. I think Eeyore has perhaps been working a bit too hard on his house."

"_Heeeeeey!_" A fourth voice appeared on the scene. Sora ran in from behind them, looking out of breath. He gave Pooh an affectionate pat on the head, then turned to Leon and Cloud. "Sorry I'm late," he managed between breaths. "Aladdin's pet monkey got us into trouble again and we had to shake off some guards."

"No problem. Uh, there might be something weird happeni—"

Suddenly a grey blur zipped past the group. "_Ifoundmytailhurrah!_"

Leon groaned. Oh, please don't let that be…

"Oh, good!" Pooh smiled. "I was afraid that Eeyore would be tuckered out from working so hard, but he seems so chipper and energetic today!"

Leon just couldn't catch a break today.

Sora gaped. "That was… but… Eeyore?" He whirled toward Cloud and Leon. "What did you _DO?_"

"Not our fault!" Cloud quickly deflected blame. Leon shook his head and motioned Sora closer.

"Cid accidentally dumped some coffee on the book," he whispered, watching Pooh out of the corner of his eye. "Apparently it… made a river."

"A river," Sora repeated.

"Of coffee." Leon paused. "I think this Eeyore character might have been drinking from it," he added lamely.

Sora shot him a deadpan look. "_Really. _What gave it away?"

Cloud was already edging away. "I'm sure you can handle this," he said absently. "We'll just be going now."

Sora waved them away and turned to Pooh. "Alright, Pooh, let's go get Eeyore sorted out, okay?"

"Alright, Sora." The bear twisted around to wave goodbye to Leon and Cloud. "It was nice to meet you, Somebodies-I-Don't-Know!"

Leon offered a half-hearted wave back before catching up to Cloud. "Well," he said finally. "That was strange."

Cloud just shook his head. "Let's just get out of here before some… _bookworm_ eats us or something."

* * *

That prompt has been sitting on my requests slate FOREVER. My apologies to SilverInkblot for the ridiculous amount of time it took to put it out. Hope that it was OK!

Espy continues to sporadically update as my life is crazy. Summer begins in May for me. Anyway, my story arc only has three more chapters to go! So, question: would you guys like a "teaser chapter" for the story arc, or just have me release the whole thing at once and keep it a secret til then?

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Concrit is accepted and loved.

-Akiko


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